Ancient Sunshine
by lalunaticscribe
Summary: Curiosity killed the cat. There are several ways in which Professor Charles Xavier was too curious. Perhaps, he shouldn't have poked around into Ruka's mind. Who knew? Trouble in the form of Duel Monsters come to the Xavier Institute.
1. Chapter 1

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

_**An LLS Production**_

* * *

"We're so sorry for the trouble, really," the teal-haired girl was smiling at Logan. The three of them were in a Jeep headed for the school, and Logan was fighting not to snap at the boy for that constant stiff-paper rattle that sounded like shuffling cards.

"Don't mention it," the Canadian mutant grumbled, snorting at the faint taste of ozone. "You're twins, right?"

"Yes," the girl sighed. "I'm Ruka Morisawa, this is my brother, Rua Morisawa."

"Huh?" Rua sat up, cards scattering lightly over his lap. "Are we there yet?"

"No," both Logan and Rua countered.

Rua sank back into his seat, grumbling in Japanese. "Why they can't find a closer airport, I don't know..."

Logan nodded. "You kids know English?"

"Enough," Ruka considered. "Yusei knows a lot more than us."

"Yusei's a genius," Rua scowled, though his eyes lit up in fond remembrance. "Even geniuses should have a limit..."

"Hmph," the gruff man snorted as he tinkered with the dash radio until a low voice began to sing something definitely from _The Best of Queen_. "So... where'd you come from?"

"London," Ruka corrected before Rua could talk, smiling slightly. "But we moved there from Neo Domino City, Japan. What about you, Logan-san?"

Logan froze up for a moment before forcing himself to relax. "None of your beeswax."

For a moment, he thought they would be angry, but the twins merely leaned back and said nothing. "You're not curious?"

"Just like Himuro-san," Rua muttered.

Ruka merely coughed, clearly concealing a laugh. "What my brother means is, that you'll tell us when you want to."

"You kids are odd," Logan grumbled, as the paper-shuffle began again. "You gamble?"

"No," Rua answered. "Duel Monsters. You play?"

Logan stared at the twins through the windscreen. "What's that?"

The twins' horror-struck expressions assured that yes, the rest of the ride was going to be occupied.

* * *

Charles Xavier frowned for a moment as the presence of numerous minds congregating in the vicinity. "Were we expecting many guests today?"

"Are we?" Ororo Munroe sat up.

"No," the Professor frowned. "Just a pair of twins, both fourteen. By all means ordinary, but Cerebro did register an unusual energy around them."

"Indeed?" Ororo archly remarked. "Perhaps the cause were to lie with someone _around_ them, as opposed to the children?"

"There is more," Charles steepled his fingers. "At the age of three, she fell into a coma for a whole month. However, her twin brother had been there constantly by his sister's side calling her name, and she awoke after a month spent in a vegetative state."

"Surely something concerning to binds between twins," Ororo was still sceptical.

"But, the reports claims that she claims that she had been in another world during that one month," the professor still looked pensive. "The truth of such things are rather debatable, but her parents do indeed seem worried, hence Morisawa Rua and Ruka will be coming to the school."

"Children are prone to imagining," Ororo considered.

"But, those same imaginings may hold some truth to it," Charles rebutted. "Call it a curiosity, I suppose."

* * *

"We have someone who can see them," Rafael commented to his partner as the two were ensconced amongst the data banks of the X-Mansion.

Fingers paused fractionally. "Are they raising the alarm?"

"No. I think they think Elma's just hanging around."

"How convenient. Do nothing, then." More clicking and typing, as the computer beeped and whirred under those slender fingers. The woman wore rubber gloves and her hair was braided tightly in a single scorpion tail, a studious contrast to the daring black halter and the jeans she wore to match. "Our shield will not last forever, dear."

"Di... what's the point of breaking into a school for mutants? Especially one with Wolverine?"

"I told you. Cerebro connects to all minds on the planet, and that probably includes psychics. If it does, our plan might end up prey to whatever faction of mutants there is. We need to make sure it isn't. There simply aren't enough Psychic Duelists to make a separate society, and we're simply too scattered."

"Right," Rafael groaned at her circular reasoning. "Let's go back to where that plan leads to us breaking into this manor house and hacking their systems."

"Oh my, they have files on the Black Rose," the dark-haired beauty commented. "Back to your question: If, maybe, they think we're mutants, the X-Men gets called in. Then the Brotherhood follows. Then any dreams of co-existence we have could simply disappear in the factional tussle."

The broad-shouldered man, Rafael, sighed as he embraced her with a quick kiss to the top of her head. The laptop beeped, and he began wiping down the scene as she swept to packing everything up with remarkable efficiency. "Did you erase your own files?"

"Yes, dear," she huffed.

"Have you thought about getting out?"

"...the front door is an admirable option."

Rafael sighed. "You're going to give me a heart attack again, aren't you?"

"Psychic," she reminded him, a small card twirled around two fingers. "Remember how we got in?"

* * *

_Be careful, young maiden._

Ruka paused at the proclamation from Regulus as she got out of the Jeep behind Rua. From somewhere near the fence, an invisible tall female spirit with red hair waved hello, which Ruka ignored with the ease of long practice.

Logan froze in the middle of pulling their bags out of the Jeep, glancing at Ruka. "You okay, brat?"

"I- I'm fine," Ruka gave a small smile. "Is Papa and Mama coming?"

"Sorry kid, I don't know," Logan sighed gruffly.

"Oh..." the twins' expression fell.

"I told you we should've called Yusei," Rua hissed to her.

"Yusei is busy as well," Ruka countered. "He's got to look after Momentum, right?"

"But he's got Fortune!" Rua argued.

"And they're still working out the kinks! Besides, Jack and Crow would be fine as well, right?"

"It's tournament season now," Rua pouted.

Logan refrained from interrupting as the trio entered the X-Mansion. This was also the first time both twins stopped their argument to gape at the richly furnished interior of the manor.

"This... is a school?" Rua finally said in disbelief.

"Kurt!" Logan barked, as a blue-haired teenager seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"You must have had a long flight." Kurt hopped off the banister, snatched up one of the heavier suitcases. "Come on! I can show you where the guest rooms are."

Rua and Ruka exchanged looks. "Suspicious," both finally pronounced before they followed the smiling teenager with their bags.

Logan lingered behind them, frowning. _You heard that?_

_It appears that our twins are hardly blind, to notice Kurt's appearance this quickly despite the holographic illusion. By the way, Logan, keep an eye out for an unusual presence. It appears that we have guests here._

"Guests?" Logan yelped as two laughing students strolled out, the scent of Ororo's cologne floating along as the weather-witch herself chatted amicably with the two. "'Ro! Let the newbies explore and come over!"

It was many hours later in his empty office, that Charles Xavier squinted at the fraternal twins. They were both lovely creatures, all sunshine and smiles, and they had _teal-_coloured hair. Xavier squinted a little, trying to distinguish if their strange hair was a result of dye or perhaps a natural colour signifying mutant power, but that was no easy task and he gave up after a moment. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, founder of Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning."

"Ah, nice to meet you," the twins nodded.

"I'm Rua," the boy said.

"I'm Ruka," the girl demurred.

"We're twins," Rua clarified for the professor. "Why are we here? Mama and Papa just said that we're supposed to come here for some reason, but they're busy at work."

Charles frowned. "You mean to say that you made the trip yourselves?"

"Uh, yes?" Rua frowned. "Well, our parents are always busy with work, so it's nothing."

"Well..." Charles demurred, steepling his fingers. "Your parents have been raising concerns about... hearing voices."

Both twins looked wary instantly, glaring strongly at him. "Y- Yes?" Ruka stuttered.

"I wonder, how would you describe these voices?" the professor gently probed.

"They... they're my friends," Ruka murmured defensively. "They're fine."

_Do not worry, young one. Ancient Fairy and I are here._

Xavier paused for a moment. "Did you hear that?"

Both twins stared at him. "You can hear them too?" Ruka asked. "The voices of Duel Monsters spirits."

"I assure you, spirits are immaterial," Xavier frowned. "We are a school for gifted students. Despite the name, we do indeed accept... people with strange powers. Are you familiar with the term 'mutant'?"

"Yes," both twins nodded.

"We at the Institute believe that Ruka, you may have latent tendencies," Xavier began without preamble. "We've read your file, especially concerning the incident of ten years ago where you were catatonic for a whole month. We believe that-"

Looking at both of them glare at him, a single thought unanimously crossed their minds: _Divine_.

Flashes, of a man with brown hair, a mad laugh, and calling upon a monster to attack... and of the same man being... _eaten_?... by what looked like a giant black and green lizard, before...

_Who are you? _Female, mature, implacable as a summer storm, and definitely angry as large, membranous butterfly wings beat, that voice was one of warning that it, whatever it may be, was not amused.

_Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus, _he recalled. _Never tickle a sleeping dragon. _A moment later... _Why did that come to mind?_

Professor Charles Xavier frowned as he slowly came back to his office. He had been trying to see their minds, mostly to see about this Divine character, but he'd been forced out. He could not remember ever, in his life, having felt as helpless as he had while being tossed out of that mind. Every ounce of his considerable mental power, and he had been knocked back by the force of the blow that the little teenage mind had dealt.

_Invader, liar, diver of minds and hearts, _that same calm, inexorable voice murmured. _Beware, Ruka..._

Ruka was tense. "You... you can read minds."

"You're psychic," Rua swallowed. "Like Divine and Aki Nee-chan."

"Our school is a school for mutants, Rua, Ruka..."

An ugly green bony demon attacking, the pain shooting through the entire body. A black dragon with glorious rose-petal wings raging, its black serpentine maw open in a scream of unstoppable rage as around it, rose petals floated in a storm that wrecked everything in its way. _Psycho Duelists_... _Psychic Duelists_... pain, rage and fear, screams of panic renting the very air itself as the ground shattered and before it, a figure masked, red locks falling from around her fringe... Black Rose Witch, not a legend but true, terrifying and scary-

The cry of a bird, high and sweet, like some bizarre trumpet as the building crashed around them-

_Become the path its light shines upon. Wandering star. _Yusei.

Charles swallowed as he retreated from the memories, staring at the twins with undisguised curiosity. "May I enquire-?"

"No," surprisingly, it was Rua who stood up, face pale and tired. "Our parents called you in about Ruka hearing the voices of spirits, right?"

Slowly, Charles nodded.

"Those voices don't do anything," Rua continued. "They don't affect her in any way."

"But, Mori- Rua," he decided on the less formal approach. "Hearing things that no one else can hear, especially from such an... unusual party... is not always a good thing. Especially, hearing voices-"

He broke off as Ruka stood, this time with her face white as the murmurs increased in volume and number. "They've gotten out."

"What?" Xavier repeated.

"Those people who broke into the school," she clarified. "They've gotten out."

"What?" Charles sent out a telepathic probe, his frown deepening as the two strange presences did not register. "How? For one thing, how did they get in without Logan noticing? How did they get _out_ without Logan noticing?" He froze. "And why can't I detect them?"

The door opened to admit Ororo. "Sorry, Charles," she softly murmured. "But someone broke into the data banks. They... I don't know what they did. Or even how they got past security."

"That's bad," Rua hissed to his sister.

"I never realised..." Xavier noted. "How? When? And why?"

* * *

It was a commonly held law of nature that when a huge event happened in a relatively cloistered social circle, news travelled through the grapevine relatively fast. It was therefore merely ten minutes after discovery of the break-in that Logan walked in to hear a stream of long swear words in a variety of languages.

"Calm down!" Jean's clear voice brooked no delay as she argued with the few others present. "For one thing, Logan was out today, so it's possible that they got in during that time. Logan actually needs to be present to be effective, you know."

"But how did they get _out_?" was the main argument of Scott Summers.

"And ho' did dey get past dis Cajun?" was the added cry of Gambit.

"Break in, steal, and get out," Logan snorted at the three. "Or maybe they planted something. Check the systems, Red."

"Right," Jean nodded. "I'll run a virus scan, just in case."

"Most likely, theft," Logan snorted as he plodded around the few terminals present in the room. "Information theft, Cerebro, things like that. Gumbo's got a point, though; how did they get past us?"

"The security cameras showed nothing out of the ordinary," Scott pointed out. "The Professor didn't even notice anything out of the ordinary until Storm told him."

Jean paused as the command came in. _Jean, is anything missing?_

_Well, we're guessing that whatever was stolen, it's from the data banks_, Jean frowned as she tapped a few keys. "I don't think we'd have noticed if not that one of the banks was openly shattered and broken," she spoke aloud.

_Our guest managed to catch onto the presence of the thief disappearing before any of us realised the theft._

"What?"

* * *

"The voices informed you?" Charles repeated to the twins.

"They said that the Guardian Elma was leaving," Ruka dutifully answered. "Kuribon said as much."

Charles was saved from asking about the creature's name by a knock on the door, followed by Logan's entrance. "Logan, status?"

"Nuthin', Chuck," the cantankerous X-Man answered. "Clean as a whistle. Closest we got was something about the Black Rose Witch, before that broke down too."

"Black Rose Witch?" the twins chorused. Pictures of a red-haired girl, both smiling, or viciously ordering monsters to attack, floated on their minds.

Ruka turned to her brother. "You don't think..."

"Aki Nee-chan?" Rua muttered, hiding a yawn. "Or Divine breaking out of jail?"

Charles shook his head. "My apologies. I seem to have forgotten that the two of you have taken a long flight. Please, Logan, show them to dinner and bed. I'll have to inform Ororo about what happened."

"Thank you very much," the twins bowed as they left with Wolverine, leaving Professor X steeped in deep thought in his office.

"Eerie," Rua muttered in Japanese. "Someone who can see Duel Monsters spirits breaking into the place..."

"But, why?" Ruka muttered as they opened the door to a minor party. A teen made a grab for some pizza, jumping back when the kid he collided with suddenly became three. Another teen displayed an ice rose to a feral young girl, who sniffed at it and dunked it into his soda.

"Surprise!" the blue-haired teen that showed them in before yelled from a corner of the room.

"Uwahh!" Rua staggered back in surprise, before spotting the deck of cards nearby. "Oh, you're Kurt. Hey, you play too?"

Kurt's face brightened. "You play? Wanna Duel?"

Behind them, Ruka and Logan sighed as the two boys began jabbering away. "This happen often?" Logan rumbled as the dining room began to become louder as the evening meal approached.

"Yes," Ruka dryly affirmed.

"You're pretty calm," Logan noted.

"I learnt from a friend that one should always reserve judgement first."

"Good for you," Logan snorted. "Want some pizza?"

* * *

Dimly he was aware of his body in its wheelchair, the fine line of sweat dripped across his brow from hours of sifting through whirling thoughts. Keeping his mind present in the mansion, Xavier kept his mind's eye firmly on the two guests.

_Kurri Kurri!_

Through her eyes, he could see it; the round body of brown fur, a tail flat like a beaver, and round innocent eyes. The creature bounced slightly, floating to be level with Ruka.

Distantly, another voice rumbled, this one masculine and fierce. _Quite a spread... who are you?_

Xavier reappeared in a forest. There were sounds around him, from the sigh of wind in the trees to the rustle of brush caused by a moving animal. Sunlight streamed through the canopy of trees like a curtain, shadows playing with light between the solid trunks that reached towards the skies, the echoes of light and darkness abound.

This is not real, he told himself. This is a manifestation of Ruka's mind-

_Who are you?_

"I'm Charles Xavier," he spoke, his voice faint before this mound of nature as leaves rustled in the trees.

_Who are you?_

Xavier was forcibly reminded why Grimm's fairy tales, a compilation of the most widely known scary stories of Western Europe, nearly always featured a forest as the setting. "I'm the head of a school of mutants. I'm here to help."

Invisible things brushed suddenly and without warning – tree branches, spider-webs, leaves, brush, sprites laughing as they flew about in the air. The ground shifted and changed, forcing him to compensate with every step as the earth below rose and dipped suddenly.

_Who are you?_

"Ruka, I believe that you are being possessed," Xavier bit out. "A forest... I can lead you out of this forest. This is not real."

The forest shifted suddenly, a shadow lashing out from amongst the trees as Xavier dived and kicked the base of a tree.

_This forest does not allow conflict. Leave._

"Excuse me?" Xavier bit out as the leaves began to rustle in an echoing storm once more, and sunlight streamed from between the branches of the trees to spear through him, painful and unrelenting.

_A forest that places everything in the open... and does not allow conflict. Welcome... to the Ancient Forest._

At the same time Ruka collapsed, Charles Xavier entered a deep sleep within his room.

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

He was being chased by a unicorn.

Charles Xavier had long accepted that in the human psyche, there were many fantastic things that existed. Now, he was being chased by one of them. Its mane glittered blue-white with some iridescence in the permeating sunlight, its coat a complete pearly white sheen, and its horn spiralling in a single deadly point the beast seemed intent on running through him.

Xavier began to run. Although in the real world the use of his legs would still have been impossible, obviously he was still in Ruka's psyche.

_Did you really think so, little meddler...?_

The voice echoed through the forest, strong and permeating.

"Who are you?" Xavier's tentative call echoed through the forest. "I like this place, Ruka. I've never seen anywhere this beautiful."

_The question is, who are _you?

Leaves shifted, and Xavier was struck by the unreality of this place. There was not a yellow blade of grass, nor a single broken flower stem, nor fallen leaves or broken branches. It seemed almost transient... then again, this was a mind, and it seemed completely untainted and without a blemish. Xavier looked at the shapely trees with their crowns of gold in sunlight, wan and yet bright, and sighed.

"Why are you here?"

Xavier turned around at the faint question to see a clearing. Fields of red, gold and green greeted him, before the increasingly bizarre sight registered.

Ruka knelt amongst a host of faeries. Little winged sprites weaving in the air. Green-clad Fae laughing and grinning. Cute little beasts, including the beaver-like Kuribon that Ruka held on her lap, and dominating them all...

"Why are you here?" Ruka asked gently once more, the question clear on her face.

"_Aye, child._"

Xavier kept staring. A slender serpentine body curled around itself like a snake, blue-scaled and lightly armoured with wrist guards of red and gold and a matching helm over sea-green hair. Big butterfly wings spread out behind it as it blinked large amber eyes. Sunlight shimmered about it with the promise of life.

"You're... you're a dragon," the professor blinked.

"Of that, I am aware," the dragon's voice, that same female voice that had beat him back, echoed even though its jaw never moved. "Forgive me if I do not welcome you, but you hardly seemed welcome anyway."

"Ruka, I can help you," Xavier pressed. "Do not be deceived by this place. This is your mind, your dreams, wearing the appearance of fairyland. Those voices... do not listen to them."

"This is not my mind," Ruka's serene expression never changed even as the ground rumbled and the dragon flapped its wings absently, the wind knocking Xavier back. "_Why are you here?_"

"Meddler," the Fae seemed to hiss as one as they began to loom, a swarm of pixie-like beings gathering into a host.

"Liar," the deep voice behind him caused the professor to turn and stumble back upon seeing the armoured lion, bear and beasts.

"Meddler, human, you dare come into our sanctuary by your own volition when it is not your lot," the dragon's voice echoed, clearly angry. "The minds of others are not your business, neither are they things you can read with whimsy. Great power bears great responsibility, and you do not hold that feeling. Hypocritical, meddling fool. The thoughts of others are not yours to read at will."

"You came into my mansion," Xavier bit out. "Under my invitation."

"We did not," the dragon's swishy tail snapped. "We have always been in this world."

"World?" Xavier repeated, looking around. "This is Ruka's mind! It is impossible! Though minds do seem like a separate world, this is a mind! There is a reality, and this is not it!"

"And how would you define reality, then?" the dragon mused as the Fae came upon him. "Three thousand worlds in a single moment, so your sages teach... so, are you a human, or are you a butterfly?"

Xavier's eyes snapped open.

"Professor!" Jean gasped as he sat up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm all right, Jean," Xavier forced down a cough, steadied his voice. Met the six gazes scattered about the infirmary bed; three head teachers and his two best students, all equally wide-eyed. "I just... need a moment."

Logan snorted. "One day, Chuck, you're going to walk into a mind and not be able to get out."

"I very nearly did," Xavier sighed.

Ororo, or Storm, had her hand over his still fingers, her face pensive. "Take what time you need, Charles. Something tells me, that this problem will require all our efforts."

"There is... a whole other world in Ruka's mind," Xavier waved. "It is beautiful, perfect even, filled with faerie beings and fairy-tales. A child's mind, protected by a dragon that was more beautiful than anything else I have ever seen... and it quoted something at me. 'Three thousand worlds in a single moment... Are you a human, or are you a butterfly?'"

"What?" Hank McCoy pushed his glasses up on his nose. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"It's philosophy," Surprisingly, it was Logan who answered. "The full quote was 'Once upon a time, I, Zhuang Zhou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Zhou. Soon I awoke, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Between a man and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things.'"

"Sounds like difficult stuff for a teenager to comprehend," Scott remarked.

"I agree," Ororo quietly murmured. "Perhaps it would be easier if you show it to us, Charles."

"Very well," Charles sighed, a gentle touch through his own memories, watching the flinches as memories transferred.

"It's a dragon," Logan murmured in disbelief. "A dragon that knows _ichinen sanzen_."

"Ichi- what?" Storm turned to the Wolverine.

"A Buddhist concept," Logan patiently explained. "Learned it in Japan; it's a difficult theory that at its most literal goes down to 'three thousand worlds in a single thought'. I don't think a kid would understand it."

"Children can often grasp abstract concepts because of their relatively simpler foundations," Xavier sighed. "However... I sensed that there were two, three, maybe more minds around Ruka."

"What should we do, Charles?" McCoy murmured.

Xavier reached out for his wheelchair. "I think it is time we asked questions."

* * *

"Ruka!" Rua sighed in relief as his sister awoke. They were in their room, which Logan had helped carry the girl into after she had fainted. The remains of dinner was in a tray on the bedside table.

"Rua..." Ruka moaned as she blinked awake. "_W- What happened?_"

"_I... I fell unconscious,_" Ruka explained, switching to Japanese. "_And then, I went into the spirit world... Professor Xavier was there! He's a telepath!_"

"_There's something weird about this school..._" Rua nodded. "_But, it's a mutant school, so I guess it's expected. Still... do you think Signer powers would be classed as mutant powers?_"

"_If that was true, then how do you explain Clear Mind and Burning Soul?_"

"_Oh, yeah,_" Rua sheepishly rubbed his head. "_But, if you're falling unconscious again, we should ask Ancient Fairy Dragon, right?_"

"_I don't trust Professor Xavier,_"Ruka murmured. "_I can sense it, that he has good intentions, but I don't think he understands us. He doesn't believe in things like spirits, like Papa and Mama._"

"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Rua offered as a knock sounded and the door opened to admit the wheelchair-bound Professor and a man wearing sunglasses – indoors! – wheeling it in.

"My... apologies," Xavier greeted, choosing his words carefully. "I usually scan everything that comes into the manor. I... did not mean to pry."

The twins remained silent, just looking at him with the same assessing stare one would probably give a live specimen. Under the façade of calm, however, there was an undercurrent of wariness, ready to fight or flee when it came down to brass tacks.

"Please, hear me out," Xavier murmured. "Your parents... they came to me, explaining that you were hearing voices. That you could hear spirits."

"They're the spirits of Duel Monsters," Ruka defended.

"Yes," Xavier nodded. "I believe you."

"Y- You do?" Rua looked stunned.

"Professor?" the boy looked blank. "There aren't any weird energies in pieces of cardboard, or we would've heard about it. We've seen people suppress their mutant side before. Even build up a whole other personality for it."

"Scott, not now," Xavier sighed. "You saw someone in the grounds, right? Or... something."

"Guardian Elma," Ruka affirmed shyly. "I remember because I... was looking up cards to add to my deck."

"This... Guardian... yes, thank you," Xavier murmured as he got the image. "She looks relatively normal, if a tad under-dressed. How did you know?"

"Well..." Ruka looked uncomfortable. "Instinct?"

"Fair enough," Xavier nodded. "The thieves escaped, but we have a clear idea of what they took. A few files, concerning the phenomena in Neo Domino City of the urban legend called the Black Rose Witch, and an organisation proclaimed to consists of psychics, known as the Arcadia Movement."

The torrent of images, of the witch clad in a sweeping robe, her mask blank and red locks buffed by the winds, and the resplendent black dragon tearing up a stadium of screaming people-

The brown-haired man, commanding his ugly monster to attack directly-

"They're real," Rua swallowed. "Psychic Duelists. They can…they can make a duel real, with all the monsters and magic manifesting in reality." With those words, the two of them looked at Xavier meaningfully.

What they just said was probably meant to be a shocking revelation, but Xavier did not comprehend at all. "I'm afraid I do not know what you mean. Monsters and magic manifesting in reality?"

Rua looked disgusted. Ruka merely looked accepting. Receiving no indications of understanding from Xavier, "_Hakase_, have you ever watched a duel? Ever seen Crow Hogan or any of these world famous names on TV?"

Xavier smiled faintly. "I'm afraid to say, though I caught flashes of motorcycles time to time when my students were watching, I myself have never sat down to watch a game. I am quite illiterate about it."

Rua turned to his sister and babbled something in Japanese.

Ruka nodded. "_Hakase_, then, could we show you a Duel?"

* * *

"What are they doing?" Logan scowled as the basketball court cleared and the twins moved to stand on either end of the court.

"It's a Duel!" Kurt and, strangely enough, Kitty, were the only ones to look excited. "Our new guys brought their DuelDisks! Sweet, I've always wanted one!"

Logan was saved from answering as the Professor wheeled up. "Shall we begin, then?"

"Thank you!" the twins cheered, before turning to face each other. "Duel!"

Rua: LP 4000

Ruka: LP 4000

"In a Duel, the objective is to get the other player's life points down to zero, or force them to not be able to draw, or some other condition," Kurt added as commentary.

"I'll start, draw!" Ruka announced. "I summon Sunlight Unicorn [1800/1000] to the field in attack mode!"

Logan did not miss the discreet swallow that the professor did upon seeing it. "What? It's a harmless fairytale horse."

"You wouldn't think that if you were nearly gored by it," Xavier murmured as the beast pawed the ground.

"Then, I play the Field Spell, Ancient Forest," Ruka called as around the entire court, the scene changed to that of the fairytale forest. Even Logan looked momentarily taken aback.

"Incredible," Xavier murmured in awe. "I'd heard that this game makes use of sophisticated holographic imaging technology, but to see it in reality, even outside the Danger Room, is... shocking. Such a realistic 3D image!"

"How's it that Hollywood hasn't used it?" Logan chuckled. "The original developer must've been a tight-fisted paranoid sod."

"I'll set two cards, turn end," Ruka called.

"Draw!" Rua smirked. "To start off, I'll summon Deformer Videon [1000/1000] to the field in attack mode! Then, I'll equip him with Deformer Cord! For every equip card equipped to him, the attack power of Videon increases by eight hundred when he's in attack mode [1000/1000 → 1800/1000]!"

"The attack powers of both of them are equal," Kurt observed the monster that resembled a disassembled cassette player.

"Now, I'll set a card and end my turn," Rua smirked.

"Draw!" Ruka called. "I'll summon the tuner monster, Trust Guardian [0/800] to the field!"

"Tuner?" Xavier murmured as the tiny winged humanoid appeared.

"Synchro summon?" Rua and Kurt caught on immediately.

"Tuning, level four Sunlight Unicorn to level three Trust Guardian for a level seven monster!" Ruka declared. "_The holy light of protection, shine now and become eternal life! Synchro Summon! A regal birth, Ancient Fairy Dragon!_"

A tinny roar sounded, almost like the caw of a raven. The rosy gossamer wings were unfurled and resembled a butterfly's. Its serpentine body was encased in golden armour and its glassy amber eyes calmly demanded respect. The dragon was graceful and enduring, serene and beautiful. Everyone present immediately oohed and awed at its regal presence, even Wolverine had nothing to comment on girly dragons in the face of the brilliance of the fairy dragon [2100/3000].

"That's... that's the dragon," Xavier swallowed, his mind automatically on edge. "The dragon I saw..."

"Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Rua and Ruka greeted happily. It probably wasn't all that strange for Duelists to address their monsters, for the audience didn't seem surprised at all; Kurt only cheered louder. Charles Xavier, however, drew in a sharp breath, and could sense Jean's shock in the back of his mind, reverberating down their mental link.

He had been focusing on the players, feeling their minds sharpen, emotions pull taut, the beginnings of child-like excitement of seeing monsters fight each other in real time. But, as soon as the dragon appeared, he sensed _three _minds from his position, instead of two.

The dragon's elegant head then turned, and one eyelid descended into a playful wink.

Yes, the supposedly _holographic_ dragon had a _mind_.

* * *

"Ancient Fairy Dragon allows me to special summon one level four or lower monster from my hand once per turn, at the cost of skipping out on my battle phase," Ruka continued, having missed out on Xavier abandoning all pretence of respect and discretion in shock. "I'll special summon Fairy Archer [1400/600]!"

Xavier pinpointed the dragon, listening in to its surprisingly intelligent thoughts: _a trap, ostensibly to prevent attacks... and I can hear you, meddler._

Xavier blinked as the mental equivalent of a door slammed in his face, as a fairy with spindly wings appeared, bearing a bow and arrow.

"During my main phase, I can inflict four hundred damage to my opponent for every Light Attribute monster I control," Ruka continued. "Since I have two, it's eight hundred damage!"

The fairy pulled and let loose a jewel-headed arrow that hit true and exploded.

Rua: LP 4000 → LP 3200

Ruka: LP 4000

"I'll then use Ancient Fairy Dragon's effect to destroy Ancient Forest," Ruka announced as gossamer wings spread. "Plain Black!"

A tinge of sadness and pride rose, Xavier thought, on the dragon as the trees shattered to be replaced by the basketball court.

"I'll then recover one thousand life points," Ruka continued. "Turn end."

Ruka: LP 4000 → LP 5000

Rua: LP 3200

"Draw!" Rua called. "Nice play! I'll summon the tuner monster, Deformer Remoten [300/1200] to the field! I'll then move Videon to defence mode and due to the effect of the equipped Deformer Cord, I destroy the set card you have on the left!"

"I see," Ruka nodded.

"Tuning, level four Videon to level three Remoten!" Rua announced happily. "_Docking strength with courage to protect the world's peace! Synchro Summon! Envoy of love and justice, Power Tool Dragon!_"

An excavator spade in one hand, and a power screwdriver in another, the bright yellow robotic dragon roared with a tinny streak as it appeared [2300/2500]. Both dragons roared as they faced across each other, not in enmity, but perhaps... familiarity?

No matter, Xavier decided as the boy played a card that gave the dragon a pickaxe, and then attacked, at which Ruka played a trap card, Dimensional Prison that sucked it into a vortex. Rua decided to set another card and end.

"Draw!" Ruka called. "I summon Regulus [1700/1000] to the field!"

The golden-haired lion was another familiar sight, another familiar mind. _You called upon me once more, fair Ruka...?_

"Then, I play the Spell card, Heavy Storm!" Ruka continued as all the cards, and Rua's last defences, collapsed before she attacked for game.

Rua: LP 3200 → LP 0

Ruka: LP 5000

More cheers, even from the students he was quite sure did not have much of an interest in the game, as Ancient Fairy Dragon gave a crow and Regulus a roar of victory. Even amidst the ruckus, Xavier could hear the jubilation of the monsters at their victory, along with quiet pride. Dreading perhaps that the creatures would fade back to holographic nothingness, Xavier could no longer contain himself.

"_Ancient Fairy Dragon!_" He blasted the mental message, and such was the force of his thoughts that he could feel Jean wince at the back of his mind. "_Who are you? I hope to meet you. Will you come?_"

The dragon disappeared, leaving nothing save echoes of darkness and the sound of gossamer wings amidst cheers and whoops.

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

"I believe Ruka may have a talent, if not an actual power," Xavier explained to the teachers of the Institute and Jean, the other telepath available, when the duties of the day was done and the students suitably occupied. "Ancient Fairy Dragon, I believe that that creature is alive in the sense that it has clearly intelligent thoughts, is capable of blocking off my mental probes, and it can clearly interact with others, if on a more limited scale."

"Gee, living holograms," Logan crossed his arms. "Big deal."

"Far more than that," Xavier raised his hands in an explanatory gesture. "I have seen into Ruka's mind, and I have seen a world very much resembling fairy-land, with this dragon ruling over it. Perhaps it could be a projection of her mind, a different facet of her personality made flesh in a sense, but there is a single piece of evidence that stands to the contrary."

"That before she even entered the Institute, she already sensed another being," Jean caught on. "The Guardian Elma she was talking about."

"Precisely," Xavier nodded. "There are too many factors to consider, but if we isolate the case, then Ruka's living dragon might be linked to a few other individuals."

"How?" Ororo posed. "Charles, this is a thirteen-year-old here."

"Not just any thirteen-year-old," Xavier clarified, typing on his desktop. "I have done my research on Duel Monsters immediately after I realised that the dragon was a sentient being. Ruka was apparently a junior member of a... Turbo Duel team in a Duel Monsters tournament called the World Racing Grand Prix. Ancient Fairy Dragon is one of a set of five dragons, all held by members of the team, called Teams 5Ds."

"Kids these days," Logan grumbled.

Xavier hit a key to call up a picture of a scowling tall blond man in a white racing suit, obviously the centre of attention. "Jack Atlas, one of the main fielders of the team, now the world's top champion of Duel Monsters."

"I remember," Jean murmured. "Kurt's a fan."

Xavier stubbornly continued. "Next is his rival, Crow Hogan, also a former member of Team 5Ds."

"Former?" Logan sceptically posed.

"The team disbanded after winning the World Racing Grand Prix," Xavier added as a shorter man with a shock of orange hair and numerous yellow tattoos, with a crow-like dragon behind him, appeared. "Number two in the world's professional leagues. Apparently their rivalry is one of legendary proportions."

"Kurt did say something about that..." Jean mused.

"I'm trying to see a pattern here..." Jean frowned.

"Aki Izayoi, our third member of Team 5Ds," Xavier called up a picture of a voluptuous redhead, her amber cat's eyes glaring from the photograph. "By all accounts a reserve of the team, she is also the most notable case we have on record concerning the whole team."

"Why?" Ororo pointed out.

"Because she is a former member of the Arcadia Movement," Xavier steepled his fingers. "The thieves have managed to destroy almost all files pertaining to the Movement. There must be a reason, and there is a connection, however tenuous, between Izayoi and the Movement."

"What's that got to do with holographic monsters?" Logan asked as a small QuickTime screen loaded.

"By all accounts, Logan, Rua and Ruka have confirmed that Ms Izayoi can make a duel real," Xavier explained. "Now that you have seen a duel, can you imagine what they mean? Those holographic monsters, they can become solid, breathing and living, and very capable of maiming and destroying. For what reason would anyone go after people with such destructive power? There is also the glimpse I caught in their minds, of the urban legend called the Black Rose Witch. Aki Izayoi and the Witch are one and the same. I'll show you the images."

Near-identical flinches crossed their faces as they saw what Xavier had glimpsed in the minds of the twins.

"I think the situation turned out to be stranger than I imagined," Xavier murmured, "And even more precarious when the last member of the team is considered." Finally it was a full-face photograph. Another young man, with raven black hair with gold highlights. Almost a pretty boy of sorts, but the confidence and strength his easy posture exudes belied his delicate look. "Yusei Fudo. The leader of the team. Now retired, and ostensibly now finishing a Ph. D. in particle physics while heading a major energy project already in his twenties."

"Those eyes, they're a fighter's eyes," Logan clucked his tongue. "Nice."

"Genius," Jean concluded. "What did Cerebro report on them?"

"It is too dangerous to use Cerebro near Neo Domino City," Xavier reluctantly answered. "More than once I had run into... certain interference near it. I wanted to make the attempt under more controlled circumstances." He tapped his fingers together. "I certainly didn't count on an unknown psychic in the vicinity trying to steal information of unknown importance from us."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The oak swung open, followed by Gambit casually strolling in with a fuming Scott on his heels. "_Bonjour_, Professor. Remy has managed to find our unknown thieves! But only faces."

"Faces?" all present leaned as the Cajun produced blow-ups of a pale-skinned woman with black hair and cobalt eyes, and a significantly man with spiked blond hair. The most unusual thing, beside the time stamp, was the sight of Ororo and Logan being on either side of the thieves and not noticing it.

Both teachers leapt to their feet. "That-"

"That... I thought they were students," Ororo frowned. "Don't tell me..."

Xavier peered at her, his mind searching through her memories for any tampering. "No, you were not controlled. He must have deceived you in some way. But, Logan, surely you would have noticed the scent."

"What?" Logan's brow furrowed. "Ororo's cologne got in the way."

The weather-witch glanced at him. "Logan... I _don't_ use cologne except for special occasions."

Remy burst into laughter. "_Mon Dieu_, they got in, stole what they needed, and then walked out of the front door easy as you please! How brave!"

"So... how did they get _in_?" Jean pressed. "They got past you, Gambit. Not a good idea of the thieves of New Orleans, huh?"

Gambit's smile faded, before it brightened again. "Ah, _oui._ But I found pictures! And pictures mean that with some... helpful people... we can get names! And then I will have payback."

"They walked in..." Logan gave a grim smile. "Yeah, they waltzed in and out without us noticing. We'll be the laughingstock of New York if this gets out."

"This is a school, Logan," Xavier's expression looked pensive. "Thank you, Remy. I'll have to run the facial recognition algorithms, but it would take a while."

Remy gave a brief laugh. "Yes, yes. Though... I did think the man looked familiar..."

All mutants paused. "Did you now?"

"My imagination?" Remy frowned suddenly under the Professor's physical and mental scrutiny.

"The man and the woman were in New Orleans," Xavier squinted physically, his mind shuffling through the faint memories. "He beat you up for a card."

"Ah, yes, dat!" Remy clapped. "Very torn, not at all good quality, but very treasured. Actually, there was an entire deck of them in his pocket, and only that deck. Bit odd, usually people carry keys or coins with them, especially the man, he had big pockets in that coat-"

"There it is," Xavier breathed. "Hold still, Remy."

"What, Charles?" Ororo pressed.

"Guardian Eatos," Xavier frowned. "Guardian Tryce... Twin Swords of Flashing Light... _Guardian_ _Elma._"

* * *

Three orphans. Two professional Duelists, one with a confirmed criminal record of stealing and car robbery. One a semi-retired professional Duelist, now a particle physicist and with a Ph. D. plus criminal record to boot. One a wealthy senator's daughter, slated to become a doctor and currently in her intern-ship. Two thirteen-year-old kids, of a moneyed background, privileged if not basking in familial love.

A ragtag team of kids, was Logan's first thought. Doubtless there was a very interesting story behind how they met.

Still, as he watched the kids babble about Duel Monsters, part of him did not like the idea of Ancient Fairy Dragon having a mind. Now that Charles had confirmed the existence of at least one, or more, sentient presences around Ruka, Logan was more on edge. He preferred material things; the material would break under adamantium claws sooner or later.

"I do not like it," Storm confessed. "Hearing voices no one else can hear, that are not thought... do you think it could be a telepath?"

"Who knows," Logan snorted. "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you _can't see where it keeps its brain."_

"You quoted that from the boy wizard."

Logan shrugged. "Read the books. Didn't see the appeal."

"A man of hidden depths, Wolverine."

"You live long enough," Logan shrugged.

"You were with Team 5Ds?" Kurt's near-shriek got the attention of the two older mutants. "Tell me, did Yusei Fudo really build his own Duel Runner?"

"Yep," Rua proudly replied. "He also improved the Wheel of Fortune and the Blackbird, plus upgraded the Machine Day Breaker. What, you didn't know?"

"Rua, Team Taiyo didn't make it past the preliminaries," Ruka reminded her brother.

"Oh, yeah," Rua sighed. "But it was awesome! Yusei turned a hunk of junk into a pro D-Wheel in like, one day!"

"What's a D-Wheel?" Kitty frowned.

"Oh? Oh, you see, in Japan Duel Runners are called D-Wheels," Ruka explained. "But, they both can reach up to two hundred and twenty kilometres per hour and they're used for Riding Duels, or Turbo Duels as you call them in America."

"Two hundred and twenty...?" Kurt frowned, trying to convert. "Hey, Logan! How fast is two hundred and twenty kilometres per hour in miles?"

"'Bout one-three-six!" Logan shouted.

"Whoa, cool!" Kurt yelled. "Maybe this Yusei and Logan should meet. They'd be talking about mechanic stuff all day! Hey, maybe he can install the mechanism for Turbo Duels!"

"You are _not_ touching my bike, elf," Logan bared his teeth.

"It's a bit dangerous to have a Riding Duel here, but..." Rua considered. "Maybe we'll ask Yusei! He's really good with his hands, he could fix anything!"

It was funny, how professional interrogators might not be able to reason with small children, but plonk down someone chatty of the same generation and you would be able to glean a life story out of them. Hence, with the helpful presence of Kurt, Kitty, and a few of the other students, on top of subtly trying not to follow them and keen hearing, Logan was soon able to piece together three relevant facts:

a) to the twins, Team 5Ds were good friends that still remained in touch, and only disbanded due to choosing their own paths,

b) that the team was held together by the one man, Yusei Fudo, who according to Rua might be a shooting star itself, like his namesake, and

c) the kind of bonds, that absolute trust a teenager placed in a friend, could only be the kind of bond forged in fire and steel and adversity and people trying to kill you.

Logan was pretty sure about that last fact, having lived with many such things, and therefore considered an expert at that kind of bond. But why would anyone target a pair of teenaged twins?

_I agree, Logan._

With a trick of mental discipline Charles had taught him years back, Wolverine turned his thoughts toward their target, the information being sent mentally into his head. _So you think this Rafael Eatos is the guy?_

_The algorithms show a close match. And the man's past records are certainly... dubious enough to indicate a good likelihood._

Leave it to Charles to understate it. Weirdness spotted the police records like ink. Arrested who knew how many times, jailed only once, freed in a breakout by prisoners everyone thought had better sense... Once wanted by Interpol for reasons unknown for ten years, never been caught, warrant suspended pending reactivation.

_This could get ugly._

_And we've found our mystery woman as well. Oh my._

Diana Hunter. Equally unusual. CEO of Hunter Securities and Co. Married to Rafael Eatos. No children. A curious mix of Asian and Western features in her face, something alight and laughing and generally vivacious in a way that reminded Logan of Lady Deathstrike or Emma Frost. Her record was clean; like his own. Which meant plenty of blanks that raised flags that this was not a woman to cross.

And she was currently in New York with her husband.

"Mr and Mrs Smith," Logan's lips twitched.

_I appreciate the movie reference, though it may be slightly crass... there is another mind near Ruka._

The twins had set out and were currently playing some game that involved playing the cards, laying them on the table. Doubtless, it was the boring version of the Duel Monsters Duel.

Then Charles screamed.

Logan was already sprinting for the doors, rushing through carpeted hallways and taking the stairs three at a time before he was inside, growling as he held a groaning Xavier's shoulder. A snarl ripped from his lips. "Chuck!"

"Charles!" Ororo was already following behind, her face creased with worry.

"I'm okay," the telepath panted from the exertion. "It's... well, it's a dragon."

"Didn't look that tough," Logan growled.

"Fairies are said to be notoriously fickle and arbitrarily cruel," Ororo bit at her lower lip. "Please, Charles, try not to anger beings of the immaterial world."

"I- I'm sorry," a small voice murmured from the door as the teachers looked towards Ruka, shyly standing by the open doorway. "A- Ancient Fairy told me... Regulus attacked you, Professor."

"It was... my fault," Xavier groaned as he grabbed at his bald head. "Although... it feels like someone ran a tank through my head. I believe it means that these... beings, including Ancient Fairy Dragon, they are connected to your mind."

"Y- Yes..." Ruka frowned.

"Could I... could I speak to Ancient Fairy Dragon?" Xavier pressed.

A shadow fell across the girl's face, black moods shrouding her thoughts like the dense fog of London. "I'll have to ask her about that. I hope you'd be alright. Good day, _Hakase_."

"Way to go, Chuck," Logan sniffed. "I told you not to poke around minds you don't understand. Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

"Because I know I can help her, Wolverine," Xavier said sharply. "It's a matter of control. Mind and body, working in harmony... not voices in her head from a disembodied source that appears in a hologram that has a mind of its own!"

Logan drew in a sharp breath as he stabilised the professor in the wheelchair. "And? Found anything, then?"

"Whatever it truly is, it's not physiological. It's not even a matter of the mind, although there is a definite mental discipline involved. No, Logan. What Ruka taps into, what that dragon is... it's pure emotion." The telepath folded his hands together in front of him, staring into the distance. "It's as if someone called one of your rages to heel, and pushed all that force into willing the world what they wanted it to be."

Logan shuddered. "A kid practising mind over matter? Like that?"

"I do not know, Logan," Xavier whispered. "The answers lie with Ancient Fairy Dragon. And the lack of answers... it is telling. That there is something we don't know, and that we shouldn't know."

"What are you doing?" Logan asked as Xavier wheeled himself towards his desk.

"Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan are going to be in New York for an upcoming tournament," Xavier answered, his voice slow. "Yusei Fudo is flying in for a physics conference held by Dr Richards, and Aki Izayoi as well. Team 5Ds are gathering in New York, Logan. And they have the answers we need."

He laid out a piece of Institute stationary and began to write. He tried his best to be candid and discrete at the same time, telling the readers of his conversation with the twins and stating very clearly that he knew something, if only part of the story. At the end of the letter he invited, no, urged, them to come to the Xavier Institute, even for a short visit.

Yet somehow, he was not too optimistic. That outpouring of black moods, those murmured words, that flinch at the mention of the Arcadia Movement – it would take more than a letter to be trusted by the team, for Charles Xavier at least.

* * *

Izayoi Aki sighed in relief as she and her sudden travel partner managed to collect their luggage and exit Customs without much trouble. "Finally, we're done."

She glanced from her large luggage case to his small suitcase. "Yusei, how do you pack so light?"

Yusei Fudo shrugged non-committally. "Papers. Clothes. The usual stuff."

"No souvenirs?"

"Some small stuff, maybe." Master of the laconic wit, was Yusei Fudo.

"It feels like a reunion," Aki commented as they walked into the concourse. Around them, the typical scenes of airport life milled around them. "Who knew that we'd meet in the same connecting flight to New York?"

"True," Yusei mumbled. "Aki, you came to New York for a conference, right?"

"Right," Aki giggled. "Yusei, you too?"

"Close," Yusei mumbled. "My sponsors wanted to meet me here. They wanted me to present my research."

"Oh?" Aki mused. "So, where are they-?"

"Yusei!" the brunet of the pair could hardly react as he was hounded upon. "Oh, you finally made it! I was so afraid that you might have gotten on the wrong flight again!"

"D- Diana-san, that was only one time..." Yusei looked completely discomfited by the presence of the vivacious woman clinging onto his middle.

"Yusei..." the newly-minted professor swallowed from the sudden aura of malevolence around Aki. "Who is this woman...?"

Deceptively strong arms let him go as the woman with long black hair let go of him to flash a smirk. "Oh, you must have brought your wife! Atta boy, Yusei!"

Even Aki blushed at that implication. Yusei looked completely mortified. "It's not like that, Diana-san!"

"Then, your fiancée? Your girlfriend?"

"No! She's a friend!"

"Well, not _just_ a friend, I guess. There's hope just yet," the woman clapped, turning to Aki with a winning smile that reached to her gleaming cobalt eyes. "Don't worry, hon, I'm married."

"O- Oh. I- I'm so sorry..."

"I am Diana Hunter, nice to meet you." There was something about this woman, Aki decided, that reminded her of herself.

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

"Well, this is a surprise, we didn't really expect that this time Yusei would bring his wife, so it was quite a surprise this time-"

"Diana, you're scaring the woman," the tall blond man looked down to Aki with a rather bland expression, arms crossed over a chest dressed in a thin black cashmere sweater. Beside him, a be-suited Japanese man wearing an expression that could only denote one of a time-worn warrior tradition – craggy face, square chin, and severe expression – hovered nearby. "My apologies for my wife's over-activity. I am Rafael. Welcome to New York, Professor Fudo, Dr Izayoi."

"Erm, thank you very much for your welcome to New York," Aki demurred as the man in a suit and tie picked up her heavier luggage. "You're the husband of Diana-san, right...?"

"Iemitsu can handle the luggage, so shall we, Yusei?" said married woman smiled, twirling about in a short cargo skirt that reached to mid-thigh and a matching long-sleeved wide-collar sweater that was more tasteful rather than smart-casual. "The ride is here."

All questions were somehow shunted aside, whether by Rafael's stoicism, Iemitsu's completely polite silence, and Diana's cheerful babbling of Manhattan's attractions right up till both former Duelists were shunted into the car and their ride drove out of the airport.

"Hmm, still..." Diana continued to smile, a secret little expression that hinted to Aki something of moonlit nights, hidden shadows and _I know something you don't_. "So, Yusei, have you thought about joining our games?"

"Diana-san, I don't have the pockets to pay for even one round..." Yusei spluttered.

"Shame, you have such a natural poker face too... I bet you could probably finance your science project on your winnings," Diana easily answered. "Sugoroku Mutou was said to have done that."

"Well, I don't like to leave my fate to luck, and besides, Martha taught me to save for a rainy day," Yusei shifted uneasily. "I don't mind a flutter, but I run enough risks with the Yusei Go."

"Good enough advice," Diana shrugged. "So, what do you think about the upcoming conference? Word goes that anything hosted in the Baxter Building is bound to go wrong, one way or another. Yusei, you're going to be one of the presenters, aren't you?"

"Yusei, you are?" Aki exclaimed in slight awe.

"It's... not that important..." the raven-haired professor muttered.

"Don't be humble," Diana advised as one of her ballet flats tapped at Yusei's shin, the professor and doctor sitting opposite the married couple. "But, I'm due to get a _billet-doux_ at that conference."

"Oh, but..." Aki frowned at Rafael.

The craggy blond's face twitched into something resembling a smile. "What my wife means is that we're looking forward to the professor's presentation."

"Yusei, what's the subject?" Aki enquired.

"Erm, it's just, the large-scale effects of human emotion upon matter," Yusei frowned. "In the simplest terms, a summary of the consequences of wishes upon reality itself."

"Wishes?" Aki echoed.

"Well, when in a period of high emotion, why do some people manifest powers, and yet some do not, something like that," Yusei explained. "Like... psychic Duelists..." He trailed off a bit to look at Aki's blank expression, and ploughed on. "How do psychic Duelists work? By making the monsters, magic and traps in a Duel real. Yet, the degree of reality is slightly different from what we think. After all, for example, given how many times you've summoned Black Rose Dragon, its effect combined with your powers should have theoretically cleared out quite a large bit of Neo Domino City, like... like the field-nuke effect that it's described as."

"Dense as always," Diana sighed quietly as Aki sank in her seat. "Yusei, a simpler explanation is needed, I see. Have you heard of the Schroedinger's cat experiment?"

* * *

"Of all places..." Logan groaned quietly as the large air-conditioned car, almost a Caddy by its scale, drove into New York. "Forty-Second Street and Madison Avenue, the Baxter Building... say, is that safe?"

"Reports agree that its hosts, Stark and Richards, were both hit with simultaneous emergencies just today," Xavier replied. "With both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers indisposed for the moment, this poses both a threat and an assurance."

"Still... oi, stop that!" Logan growled as Rua blew and the gum-bubble popped loudly.

Rua pouted. "No fun, Logan-san..."

"Rua..." Ruka groaned. "Jack and Crow should be somewhere... right?"

"They're having a Duel at Watkins Glen Racing Track," Rua wisely answered.

Momentarily closing his eyes again, Xavier blocked out Ororo's admonishments and Logan's snorts of nicotine withdrawal, focusing instead on the wisps of existence that hovered close around Ruka like the will o' wisps of the mist that lured humans to their doom...

_This city is one of change... great change this city is centred around on... and not always for the better..._

_Ancient Fairy Dragon! _Xavier focused. _Who are you? Show yourself to me!_

_Charles Xavier... there is much you need to learn about opening your mind!_

Pain, sharp and solid like a permanent freeze hovered as the metaphorical equivalent of a door being slammed in his face sounded. His nose twitched, as if the mental pain had been transferred to reality, and the biology professor gingerly squeezed his eyes open to see Ororo and the twins looking at him with concern.

Something wet stained his hand as he brought it up to his face, and his nose twinged with the pain only blunt impact force could have wrought. Mental pain had, somehow, produced a physical effect on reality...

"How..." Xavier considered.

"You disturbed Ancient Fairy Dragon again," Ruka observed. There was no inflection of disappointment or anger in her voice, merely pure acceptance. "Ancient Fairy is usually more gentle..."

"Well, maybe Ancient Fairy doesn't trust him," Rua babbled, although Xavier could not understand him.

_Logan? What did Rua say?_

_That maybe the dragon doesn't trust you. By the way, Chuck... did we really have to send Gumbo ahead?_

_For all morally questionable strategies, Gambit is the only one with any experience at espionage and he recognises the two of them. By sending him to scope the place out, as you would probably say, it is the most tactically sound method. There is almost no risk of open conflict or violence breaking out in the Baxter Building, after all._

_Right... knowing him? He'll start an international incident alright._

* * *

Diana's lips twitched as her husband got up. "A little mouse?"

"More or less," Rafael grumbled. "He doesn't attract attention, but... should we?"

"We should test the curse of Hadeath first," Diana agreed. "Iemitsu is already on standby. Although, I didn't really expect them to come after us, considering that we weren't intending to visit a second time if necessary."

"...say that a cat, a flask of poison and a radioactive source are placed in a sealed box," Yusei was explaining on the stage. "If an internal monitor detects radioactivity, the flask is shattered, releasing the poison that kills the cat. There is a supposed fifty percent chance of this happening..."

"Remember," Diana hissed.

"Right," Rafael mumbled as he sneaked out.

"... implies that after a while, the cat is simultaneously alive _and_ dead. Yet, when one looks in the box, one sees the cat either alive _or_ dead, not both alive _and_ dead..."

"There is a simpler explanation to abuse that theory," Diana mumbled. "Simply put, why does Schroedinger's cat die in the box with almost every person, but in that of a psychic Duelist, the cat lives."

Rafael unhurriedly tugged at the sleeves of his sweater, rolling them up carefully past his elbows as he wandered past the be-suited Iemitsu to face the smiling man. "Good afternoon. Did you require something?"

"_Oui_, what manners," the man in the brown coat smirked. "You may call me Gambit, _mon grand_."

"Sorry, I'm married."

"Ah, yes, I've seen the _coquette_ you call your wife. _Un coup de grâce_, no? Even for a thief, just walking in and out... now, how did you do that?"

"I don't think we've met," Rafael suggested.

"No, we have not," Gambit absently agreed. "But, we have someone who saw... a certain, something, shall we say? Guardian Elma... and, we have met. On the streets of N'Awlins."

A corner of Rafael's lips twitched. "In the bayou? Really?"

"Now that's just unfair," Gambit scowled. "Stupid glutton... are you sure you wouldn't agree to _ménage à trois_?"

"You're going to have to ask the wife. But, I doubt you'll actually managed to entertain her," Rafael shrugged as he cracked his knuckles.

"Come, _Monsieur_," Gambit looked unamused. "Are you sure about that?"

"I wouldn't know about that," Rafael easily answered before he charged. In the silence of the lobby, where a certain Japanese manservant had disabled the security system beforehand and cleared the area by dint of strategically well-placed cleaning signs, his footsteps echoed loudly and yet no one noticed.

Gambit swung his staff, once, twice to catch onto Rafael's back, but was unable to knock aside the broader man as Rafael latched on and performed a move known in certain circles as the bridge. Bones cracked as the blond man let go of the thief, whose limp body fell with a smack onto marble as Remy LeBeau stared at the decorated ceiling.

"_C'est impossible_..." Gambit wheezed. "I... my powers..."

"I'm sure you'll receive a full explanation in the morning," Rafael kindly answered as he turned, held Gambit's skull in both hands, and sent it towards the marble with a crash. "Hypothesis confirmed, to the degree of active powers. Iemitsu?"

"I am fine, though the cost of activation is rather... steep," Iemitsu offered by the side. "Thankfully, not much concentration seems necessary. Good work, Master. I will take over from here and prepare our impromptu guest for Madam's tea."

"I'm actually slightly surprised myself," Rafael agreed. "I'll just go back into the hall to confirm my place to the two. You take care of the X-Man. Be careful."

"Thank you very much for your concern, Master," Iemitsu murmured as he extracted a length of rope. "Do not worry about my own, please. Worry when the Madam finally secures the _billet-doux._"

* * *

"Too bad Stark and Richards couldn't make it," Yusei mumbled once the first round of talks had ended and all the attendees rushed to reception and to gear up for the next round, debates. "It would have been more interesting."

"If you say," Aki nodded, having only understood about one word in three of the dissertation.

"Yusei! Aki Nee-chan!" Both adults, and Diana, turned to see the callers, Rua and Ruka, accompanied by a wheelchair-bound man, a white-haired dark-skinned woman wheeling the chair and a rough-looking man hovering beside the first man.

"Rua, Ruka," Yusei nodded in brief acknowledgement. "Ah, you must be their guardians for now. I'm Yusei Fudo, please, call me Yusei. Please, let me introduce Aki Izayoi and Diana Hunter respectively," he continued as he indicated the two woman.

"Professor Fudo, Dr Izayoi," the first man nodded. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Charles Xavier." Though the introduction hardly seemed necessary; as soon as Aki saw Charles Xavier proper, her eyes clouded over and a strange expression overtook her face. When she shook Xavier's hand after the introduction, she seemed timid and reserved. A strange expression also came over Diana Hunter's face; it passed quickly, leaving a face that was blank, neutral, and unreadable to anyone not well-versed in body language.

"Dr. Izayoi, I heard that you attended Columbia University, which is an important base for mutant rights advocacy, so you might be familiar with the work I do," Xavier said. "Do you have reservations about my purpose, or my abilities, Miss Izayoi?"

Aki slowly shook her head. "No, not about your abilities, nor about your purpose. I do believe that mutant powers are a gift, and everyone should be treated with the same respect regardless of genetic make-up, and of course equal rights for all. I wonder how some can question it. I am completely supportive of the cause, and I had volunteered at mutant advocacy groups in Columbia too."

"You seem to have reservations about something, Aki," Xavier pressed on gently.

"Mr. Xavier, you..." She seemed to hesitate, before murmuring, "You remind me of someone, and the memories are not the happiest..."

Xavier looked at her steadily, sensing a flood of mistrust from the young woman. The mistrust was partially directed at him, but more of it directed at a memory, along with sadness, regret, confusion, and a good dose of self-loathing.

Momentarily, he switched attention to the completely blank mental state that was Diana Hunter. Now he was convinced that the raven-haired woman was a telepath. "Miss Hunter, was it?"

"Madam," Diana slyly corrected. "But please, call me Diana."

"Very well... Diana," Xavier noted that the woman gave almost no cues as to her mind. "You seem... distracted."

"Oh, yes," Diana slyly eyed the Wolverine, and Xavier felt his lips twitch at the look in her eyes she cast to Logan. Ororo began to cough as the fearless Wolverine actually backed up slightly. "There's something about rough men that just... appeals to me. My husband is completely open to a _ménage à trois, _but you'd be surprised about how many feel their masculinity threatened just being around Rafael."

Xavier harrumphed, as if willing the subject to change. "Madam Hunter must have... received many offers, then."

"It's a secret, Mr Xavier," Diana gave a small smile. "But, Mr Xavier, how _forward_ you are."

Logan began a coughing fit as the bald man broke eye contact first. "Madam Hunter, you take a perverse interest in placing my words out of context."

"Everyone requires some form of entertainment here, otherwise it's just so stuffy," Diana gave a theatrical sigh as a tall blond mountain of a man approached. "Let me introduce my husband, Rafael Eatos. Dear, Professor Xavier has expressed an interest to meet you."

Rafael completely dwarfed the other men in the group – not a hard feat, on hindsight – and sharp eyes swept the three of them in a single glance before Rafael nodded in acknowledgement. "I hope my wife hasn't touched any sensibilities yet. She seems to be able to offend or proposition anyone even through the driest conversation."

"So we gather, Mr Eatos," Xavier demurred.

"You must be Rua and Ruka," Rafael nodded to the teal-haired twins as an afterthought. "Was the ride hard into New York?"

"It was fun... wait, how did you know we drove into New York?" Rua caught himself.

"Saw the car."

"Oh..."

"Anyway, Yusei, nice job on the presentation," Diana smiled at the other scientist. There was only elation, tinged with an undercurrent of worry from her mind, and Xavier was unable to perceive further. "Go, go, you need food. And entertain Aki, I want to see a November wedding, yes?"

"D- Diana-san!"

It was clear, Xavier reflected, that Diana Hunter had an idea, if not actually knowing, of the reason why three X-Men were currently in the Baxter Building. Indeed, Rafael soon nodded and left with some alacrity as the madam approached next, wariness evident in her face. Logan's nostrils flared.

"I see you know why we are here, Madam Hunter," Xavier murmured.

"Not in so many words, but when a biology professor attends a conference of mostly physicists..." Diana shrugged. "I've read your treatise on the effect of the X chromosome in the expression of mutations, professor."

"You are no mutant, Madam, I would know," Xavier frowned.

"One can be completely human and yet detached from the rest of humanity," Diana whispered. "Like Aki Izayoi... I'm different from any of you."

Such a statement could have been misconstrued as a boast, mere self-praise, or arrogance. Diana Hunter spoke it without any inflection, as if it were merely a statement of fact. Xavier could feel his nerves stretching. "And yet you walk into my school and walk out with valuable information like some common burglar, Madam Hunter. Is breaking and entering a hobby of yours? We caught your face on the security cameras."

"Ah, you did," Diana seemed pleased, which merely added to the feeling of unease around the woman. "Send a thief to catch a thief, wasn't it? Pity. I half-expected that you would send..." she shot a grin towards Wolverine. "The Cajun says hello, Professor."

"For now," Xavier looked discomfited as the lights began to flicker overhead. Just then, the fire alarms went off combined with the sprinklers.

_Ladies and gentlemen, _the announcements rang out as people headed for the exits. _A fire has broken out in the back-room, please remain calm and proceed to the exits in a calm and orderly manner..._

Logan sniffed. "The two are staying. I'll keep an eye on them, Chuck."

"If you say so," the Professor could only mutter in reply as he was wheeled out with Ororo hovering behind..

"_Billet-doux, billet-doux_... ah!" Diana's cry of triumph echoed slightly. "Rafe?"

"Good, we got the note," Rafael's voice groaned. "I'm going to die of a heart attack from the sheer risks you run alone, Di. Let's get out before Iemitsu drives himself nuts with worry."

_Did you get all of that?_

_Yes... although, why would anyone remain behind in a burning fire to search for a love letter?_

_Probably a code, _Logan sourly thought as the couple merely evacuated, looking all the world like a couple who had been _in flagrante delicto_ when the evacuation notice came out. _Did you look into their thoughts?_

_Diana's mind is complex, and she would probably notice any intrusion. I'm looking at the husband right now- Good Lord!_

* * *

Ruka was frowning, even as the angelic being left Xavier alone with a mere headache. "_He should've been more careful._"

Diana bounded into place next to the older members of Team 5Ds present in the crowd milling outside with Rafael in tow like some mountainous bodyguard, jabbering about a few more topics of interest.

"When did that woman appear?" Rua grumbled. His sister, on the other hand, was more focused on the beings hovering in Rafael's shadow.

"They're beautiful," she told the man.

Rafael's eyes widened slightly. "You can see them too?"

"Yes," Ruka murmured. "They trust you."

The blond man's lips twitched. "I hope so."

Suddenly Yusei Fudo moved, putting himself between Xavier and Aki in a seemingly unintentional manner. "We are almost late for the dinner reservation, Aki, and no doubt you are starving. Rua, Ruka, would you like to join us?"

"Yes!" the twins cheered.

Then he turned to the Professor. "Mr. Xavier, we have a reservation at a famous restaurant on the way back; would you care to join us for dinner?"

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

Two hours later between booking and luggage stowage, and halfway into the entrée and the appetizer, the conversation maintained a steady flow that left Xavier completely out of the loop despite the subjects discussed being closely personal. Home life was often sidestepped, the weather given only a cursory analysis and the discussions of various homes often laced with details that would require at least three years' acquaintance to navigate.

"Pardon me," Xavier voiced at last, mentally wondering why Ororo had chosen to keep silent except for the occasional quip. "I cannot help but think... that your backgrounds all differ widely, and yet you are close friends."

"Duel Monsters does not judge by background," Yusei replied. "We met when I was still in the professional circuits. Our bonds helped us to win the World Riding Duel Grand Prix."

"Ah," Xavier nodded as Ororo smiled. Whatever was contained in it, the metaphorical hackles rose in the eyes of Team 5Ds.

_Ororo... they do not seem to like your look._

Tolerant amusement sparked in blue eyes. _It's just a game. Why waste your time?_

"Jack and Crow are going to be Dueling each other tomorrow," Aki noted. "Erm, Yusei... do you want to go together?"

"Sure," Yusei nodded. "Erm, Mr Xavier, I have no idea about the rules of your school, but do you think it's possible for Rua and Ruka to stay tonight? I was thinking that we could all go together to the Watkins Glen for our friend's Duels..."

"We're going to be third wheels again..." Rua muttered. Ruka elbowed her brother.

"There is one thing I would like to know, Mr Xavier," Yusei frowned. "Is there anything we could do for Ruka?"

"Ah, your support is enough," Xavier nodded. Whatever secret was being evaded from him, there was at least one friend who still stood by the twins even though they were around a known mutant institute. It was good enough, for now. "Actually... I think you could assist me in this rather delicate matter."

Having looked around to established their private, Xavier decided to metaphorically lay his cards out. "I was... well, called upon by Mr and Mrs Morisawa to take a look at Ruka. Ruka has, to put it in their words, hearing voices where nothing exists. As a known telepath, it would have been a simple matter to establish a cause and treatment... that was, until I saw the source of these voices. I have reason to believe that perhaps, given your closeness to them, you could assist us in establishing some rapport. We of the Institute also think that Ms Izayoi, you could help us..."

A wall had fallen around them, Aki's arms shifting defensively and Yusei merely looking at him with carefully blank blue eyes that contained the intensity of an eagle's. Complete silence descended on the table.

That was before Diana gave a short laugh. "Oh my, it seems like the professor has fallen into the _secret de Polichinelle_."

"Excuse me?" Most of the table blinked with him.

"A _secret de Polichinelle_ is a secret that everyone can know," Diana slyly murmured. "For this reason, the people who do not know it never hear about it – for if everyone thinks you _know_ a thing, nobody _tells_ you, professor. Why don't you tell them, Yusei? Or I could do it as well."

"Diana-san..." Yusei sighed. "Aki? Rua? Ruka? Do you mind?"

"No... not at all," Aki looked away. "It is the past."

"You remind them of Divine Mizuki," whatever his faults, mincing his words was not something to accuse Yusei Fudo of. "He was frankly not a very nice man, but he had a vision. Erm... do you know what are Psychic Duelists?"

"I have had the concept demonstrated and explained at great detail by Rua and Ruka," Xavier nodded.

"Right... Divine was one of them, although not _quite _the most powerful," Yusei played with a fork, clearly thinking of the next sentence. "He founded the Arcadia Movement, composed of Psychic Duelists like him, and became the leader of this group of Duelists training to control and harness their psychic abilities. By on recruiting, manipulating and training psychics like him to obey his word, he was planning to create an army of psychics, even going so far as to conduct human experiments on the younger members of the Movement. Hurting, blackmail, and murder for power was only some of the things he was planning in creating this... well, army of psychics. As far as the police could guess, he was... willing to do anything to get to these goals."

"You seem very up to date on this information," Xavier noted. "And, as for how this has to do with Ruka..."

"Divine tried to recruit them into the Movement," Yusei cut to the chase. "He Dueled Rua, and inflicted pain and trauma to test if perhaps Rua had any powers like Ruka. He would have recruited Rua, if only to use Rua to manipulate Ruka. Do you see what I am getting at, Mr Xavier? For the sake of salvaging this dinner, I am not going to speak it out loud, for their sake, and for yours."

"...I think I do, Dr Fudo," Xavier nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

"Well, Yusei gave me the same reason when he accepted my offer," Diana nodded as the main course neared its conclusion.

"What offer?" Aki narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"I am going to revive the Arcadia Movement."

This declaration garnered mixed reactions. Rua and Ruka swivelling their heads to stare at her, Aki's knife skidding across the table, blank acceptance from Rafael and Ororo, tired sighs from Yusei, and sudden comprehension from Xavier.

"You... are one too?" Rua swallowed.

"Does it matter?" Diana smiled slightly. "Yes, I am."

"Oh," Ruka nodded.

"At the heart of it, it's a good idea," Diana nodded. "Teaching them control, the possibilities of power, what they could do with it."

"You're going to recreate a utopia for Psychic Duelists?" Aki's voice was polite, but there was an undercurrent of something.

"No," Diana shook her head. "But I will make sure that they are given a choice that they can make. And then hope that they make the right one. I invited Yusei to the board, because even if he has no idea of the details, I will trust him to safeguard the right of choice."

* * *

Aki had no idea what to think of Diana Hunter. For one thing, the madam was married, and yet seemed open to a... something unspeakable... with Yusei. And another thing, she was a psychic Duelist, just like she herself had been, and she was close to Yusei. One more thing...

Well, maybe it was just her sheer proximity to the raven-haired physicist that bothered Aki.

"Hold on, only one room left?" Yusei's question to the hotel concierge broke through her daydream. "Erm... please, hold on."

The dark-haired Duelist turned to Aki. "Erm, Aki... there's only one room left for us."

"We weren't quite expecting Yusei to bring a guest, so we booked only three rooms," Diana blinked innocently, or as innocently the black-haired woman could manage. "Rafe and I are sharing one, Iemitsu has the adjoining room, and the last one is technically for Yusei. But, there was a mix, and so Yusei got the one with the _double-sized bed_."

Yusei gave a hacking cough. Aki found herself fascinated by the blush.

"That's the only available room," Diana blithely continued. "Well, you could try another hotel... but, given that it's summer in New York, you're not likely to get one in time... so, why don't you stay with Yusei, Aki-san?"

"You're up to something," Yusei turned an accusing look towards Diana. "Admit it."

"Well... I may have arranged for an escort, that was mysteriously cancelled today," Diana blinked. "So you'll just have to find another date to bring to the conference, and well, we have an old friend of yours who is apparently attending the conference alone as well..."

"Thank you, Diana-san," Aki replied with some heartfelt feeling even despite the Machiavellian sleight of hand that Diana must have arranged events in that short time-frame between the conference and dinner.

"Take the luggage," Diana was already instructing the porter to move their suitcases. "Yusei... go get your future wife~"

"Diana-san!" the physicist hissed under his breath as both blushing couples were directed towards the lobby by Rafael.

Heaving a sigh, Diana then thanked the concierge, then waltzed to the lobby where Charles Xavier was waiting. Taking a seat across Professor X and Storm, her face seemed cool and beautifully blank, like marble. "I see you haven't found him."

"The Institute would demand that an in-depth investigation is conducted were Gambit's body be found," Xavier warned. "What did you do?"

"And you can't sense him? A shame, then," Diana idly checked her unpolished nails, focusing on the colours she could use. Useless information to drive the telepath off track, distract... focus.

"You broke into the school, Madam Hunter," Xavier warned. "I have every right to call in the police."

Diana considered. "Are you sure? About that evidence, I mean."

"Excuse me?" Xavier twitched as a phone began to ring.

Ororo slowly answered the sleek device. "Hello? The Professor's busy- what? Okay, thank you, please, make sure the fire department stay away from the Danger Room. Goodbye." She put away the device. "The tapes were blown up by Tabitha. Nothing remains."

"How unfortunate," Diana's expression remained bland, as did her cadence. "Without the originals, even if copies remain a good lawyer can accuse tampering. Given the nature of the American legal system... it could be years before it is resolved, maybe never. And would you hamper justice like that, when clearly there is something far larger at hand? I could have planted a bomb, I could have killed or poisoned any number of students that day. And I chose not to. I merely got the information I needed."

"Information is powerful," Xavier bit out, slightly irritated. "Why don't you tell me your reason?"

"I read your treatise," Those cobalt eyes were downcast. "That mutations tend to descend in the maternal line. I know with some certainty that any children I have will most likely inherit something from me. And I worry about them."

"And you want to revive the Arcadia Movement for this reason?" Ororo sceptically blinked.

"Yes and no," Diana murmured. "I am, at heart, a selfish woman. If I am to set out to do something, I often consider the goal's relation to myself. I stand to gain if the Movement is successful, that is true. Yet, I am considered relatively successful as I am, in control of my powers. If I consider that my daughter will benefit, then I have a greater benefit, and therefore there is a greater motivation to succeed. I cannot stop the hatred of regular people, but I can protect that which I hold dear and prepare a future where my daughter can make an informed choice willingly, without any prejudice or diversion or hate. If there are others like me, who will stand to be able to choose, who will have the rights accorded to them as befitting human beings, then so much the better. But my priority will still be myself, and those that stand in relation to myself."

"I think I comprehend some ideas," Xavier decided. "And I think I do not. You have a very lofty goal, and it is not altogether bad... and yet you broke into my school for a reason, which altogether tells me that you merely have a rather defective moral compass. I cannot imagine how parents would entrust you with their children in your lofty goal."

"I cannot either," was Diana's blunt reply. "Parents who think they know best for their children are not needed. What I wish for those of the Movement, is a parent who would want the best for their children, even knowing who they are. But I will protect their right of choice."

"You seem to have quite a focus on choices, Madam," Xavier noted. "Even if they make the wrong choice?"

"I have made a number of wrong choices," Diana murmured. "I am merely better at hiding those mistakes. I believe in starting from self first, that even if we choose to destroy, that perhaps, there is a reasoning behind that choice that we can accept." She shook her head for a moment. "Tell me, Mr Xavier. What do you think about psychic Duelists? Are they mutants, or perhaps they are something else? There are a variety of theories on the subject."

"Perhaps, there is a very specific type of mutation... although, for a mutation to be centred so around a simple card game is rather far-fetched," Xavier admitted. "I have not given much thought upon the subject. Although... I do know that Aki Izayoi was a former member of the Arcadia Movement, before it was disbanded."

"Very good," Diana nodded, seemingly pleased. "And, as for your Gambit, I have him in a _safe zone_. He is alive, unharmed, and complaining that I should give him coffee instead of, and I quote, 'this effing weak tea and _pain aux raisins_'."

"And yet you have not conveyed to me which floor he is on," Xavier noted briskly as he squinted at her. So far, her mind had remained blank. How unusual. It was as if... "You are a telepath as well?"

"No, I assure you," Diana's smile still remained pleasant. "But I am something of a conjurer. And you have fallen for my _léger de main_."

Xavier quickly turned his mind to Ororo's but found himself unable to read anything. "Ororo... I can't hear your thoughts."

"Charles?" Ororo looked concerned. "But, I-" she waved her hand, and when nothing happened the woman only looked more preoccupied.

"Behold, the magic," Diana whispered. "By the time you reach your car, Mr LeBeau would be very pleased to tell you everything we covered. Between him, and what I have told you, I hope we can reach an agreement. Iemitsu. Please, show Mr Xavier and his aide-de-camp to the lobby. It appears that negotiations have ended early."

* * *

"_Merde_, she's creepy," Gambit's strident complaint was clearly beginning as the two mutants were escorted to their waiting car to see Logan and Gambit loudly arguing, the latter not truly worse for wear. "Remy goes dere, Remy meets big man, big man rush, Remy try to activate power but fail, big man knocks out Remy. Remy wakes up attached to chair, creepy _coquette_ opposite tea-table face Remy. Remy gets _tea_ and _scones._ Scones my foot, that _pain aux raisins_ is some new torture, _mais oui_. Remy gets asked polite questions, Remy forced to answer or the _coquette_ cuts Remy's little finger off, as she politely threatened. _Merde_, Remy cannot even blow anything up, somehow the _coquette_ managed to... managed to nullify Remy's powers. Then, Remy forced into big box by big man and big manservant, thrown into the car. Yay, Remy can blow things up now!"

"Shut up, Gumbo," Logan muttered, clearly worried. "Chuck?"

"Madam Hunter is clearly in possession of something that allows her to nullify mutant powers," Xavier noted. "She has also not answered any questions posed to her, instead misdirecting the conversation. I have however managed to gain a piece of information that perhaps accounts for the mistrust shared between the twins, Yusei Fudo and Aki Izayoi."

"They are two unrelated cases, Ruka hearing voices and Diana Hunter," Logan noted. "You ain't thinking-"

"I think it would be expected that I employ the one other mutant capable of fighting without his powers to handle Madam Hunter, and that we hope that Magneto doesn't catch wind of this," Xavier's reply was dry. "I, on the other hand, will investigate further into these mysterious voices."

"But there's a link," Remy spoke up. "The game. Duel Monsters."

"It's just a game," Ororo's eyes glimmered in tolerant amusement. "I'm surprised you didn't try to charm your way out, Gambit."

"Charm didn't take, it was nullified," Gambit scowled. "And whatever this is, it ain't just a game, 'Ro. This is a real gamble."

* * *

The next day found Charles Xavier along with two senior teachers at Watkins Glen International Racing Track in upstate New York to find the watch-stands jam-packed. Even knowing the popularity of this game, he was rather surprised. For an ordinary match, the fervent mood could easily be mistaken for an NASDAQ Grand Prix.

Yusei Fudo was already waiting for him at the door, and led him to a VIP seat in the corner. Xavier didn't turn and look for Jean, Evan and Kitty in the crowds, only sent a quick mental reminder to Jean, Logan and Ororo. Watching a _Turbo Duel, _or whatever this game is called, was certainly not Jean's preferred pastime, but Xavier had asked her to come. Having another powerful telepath would certainly help to decipher Ruka's powers, and yet Jean was perhaps even more illiterate of the scale of power that could be possible. She was here to grasp roughly how destructive and emotional the game seemed to be to its players and those in the know.

"I did not think that you would be interested, Mr Xavier," was Yusei's comment as Xavier greeted Rua and Ruka before settling down. "Jack isn't asking why I needed one more ticket, but perhaps we could give him and Crow a full explanation of the situation. If you believe that this could assist you in Ruka's condition..."

Xavier silently blessed Yusei Fudo. Even despite his initial distrust of Xavier himself, the man was clearly trying to help his friends and was clearly going to move the whole nine yards. If only the world could hold more of such people concerning mutants as well, Xavier would be more satisfied.

_Chuck, she's here too._

Xavier did not bother to turn around. "Hello, Mr Eatos, Madam Hunter."

"Mr Xavier," both of them nodded before taking their seats, Iemitsu looming beside them.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! What a gorgeous day it is, and it's two o'clock on the dot, so let's rumble! Put your hands together and welcome our first Duelist, Jack Atlas!_"

The crowd roared as a silver-grey motorcycle resembling a huge wheel zoomed onto the track, doing a beautiful swivel to stop just before the starting line. Large screens hanging overhead showed the white-clad Duelist waving, and the audience roared even louder.

"_And now, let's welcome our second Duelist, Crow Hogan!_"

A sleek black bike, its tails painted red and yellow, sailed onto the track, and the orange-haired Duelist aboard waved as well, grinning madly. "Jack, today you're eating my dust!"

"In your dreams, Crow!"

Amidst a thunderous roar from the audience, flags waved and the two motorcycles shot out of the beginning line. Crow's D-Wheel, or Duel Runner, or just plain motorcycle, was an arm's distance behind Jack's in the beginning, but just as they neared the first curve, the black bike found a sudden burst of acceleration and cut into the innermost lane with a hair of breadth to spare.

"Riding Duel, Acceleration!"

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

The Duel had barely started, and already spirits were buoyed somewhat.

"Duel!"

"I'm going first, draw!" Crow announced. He freed his right hand, drew one more card to slide it in to a ready slot beside the five already there, and pondered for a moment. "I set one card, and I activate Black Whirlwind!"

That one line made the crowd go crazy again.

"_Black Whirlwind! Does that mean what I think it means?_" The announcer exclaimed at the top of his lungs. "_Ladies and gentlemen, after Black Whirlwind, Miss Izayoi just summoned Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame [1800/1200]! Since a Blackwing monster was normal summoned, the effect of Black Whirlwind allows him to add a Blackwing monster with less attack power than the one just summoned to his hand, and Hogan chose Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North. Interesting choice... what is he planning?_"

Charles Xavier blinked rapidly a few times as a humanoid bird with blue plumes upon its head and huge black wings appeared out of thin air, hovering beside Crow Hogan's bike and lazily flapping its wings. "Erm..."

"You see all kinds of monsters in Duel Monsters," Yusei nodded wisely beside him.

"_So, then Hogan activates the Spell, Cards for Black Feathers, banishing a Blackwing monster and drawing two cards before declaring turn end. Rather a risky move, but Hogan's set up quite a board! Both players are at one Speed Counter; what would Jack do?_"

Xavier turned towards Yusei and asked with uncertainty. "So they are playing a card game, while racing on motorcycles? It certainly seems risky."

"It is," the other professor's reply was dry. "But Jack and Crow are professionals, they know."

"_While Crow controls one monster, Jack normal summons Big Piece Golem [2100/0] without tribute. Standard power play once more, and Jack opens the battle phase! He attacks Shura! No, our trickster doesn't disappoint; Crow activates the effect of Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow, powering up Shura by fourteen hundred [1800/1200 → 3200/1200] and Jack's monster goes down under Shura's tricky counter-attack! Shura's effect activates, and Crow special summons Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honour [800/0] with its effect negated. Not to be deterred, Jack sets two cards and ends his turn. The two face-down can only be good stuff._

"_Well, with both players at two Speed Counters, Crow opens his turn and draws! Jack's already suffered damage at 6900, while Crow's life points remain untouched, it remains to see for how long more._

_Crow summons Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North [1300/0]. Black Whirlwind's effect activates, and he chooses to add to his hand Blackwing – Etesian of Two Swords. Due to the effect of Blizzard, Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow [1400/1000] is special summoned from the graveyard. So, our Blackbird has two tuners and two monsters, and then..."_

"Tuning, level three Kalut and level four Shura to level one Vayu!" Crow roared. "_Darkened gales, become the wings that soar from resolved hope! Synchro Summon! Soar, Black Feather Dragon!_"

Wings and beak like a crow's very own, the new monster spread red-streaked wings of shadows that turned to light as its white tail feathers unfurled themselves and it gave a magnificent roar [2800/1600].

_Comrade, you are here, _the feminine voice murmured, and there was an answering mental call.

"It's Black Feather Dragon!" Rua exclaimed, and even Ruka brightened at the sight of the dragon.

Xavier, on the other hand, kept his shock to a minimum, even as he could sense Jean's shock in the back of his mind. As soon as the bird-like creature appeared, not one, but two, minds were there.

"_There it is, Crow Hogan's ace monster, the legendary Black Feather Dragon! With that monster summoned successfully, Crow special summons the tuner monster, Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind [1300/400]! Don't blink you Blackwing fans, here's Crow's personal favourite!_

With a crisp and clear bird call, a falcon-sized bird emerged. Its round head was covered with bright green down over yellow, with a pair of excessively large dark blue wings that would have failed aeronautic design tests, and two enormous watery red eyes. It was certainly the _cutest_ yet. The bird let loose a string of notes, sounding almost joyful, and it went straight for Crow. Dark blue feathers brushed his arm as if giving a pat on the shoulder. On the giant screen, they could all see Crow turning towards the bird and flashing a smile at the creature.

"Let's go, partner!"

"_Spirits buoyed by the successful summon of both monsters, Crow enters battle phase. Well, Jack isn't going to settle for that; he activates the Continuous Trap of Red Screen! Crow replies with the set card, Icarus Attack! Crow tributes Blizzard to destroy Jack's set cards, Jack has no response, it goes through, Red Screen and Jack's other set card is destroyed. Crow continues, having Black Feather Dragon attack Jack directly-_"

Immense glee and pride from the bird, as the dragon's maw dropped open and was about to unleash a blast.

"I activate the effect of Battle Fader!" Jack roared.

"_Oh, wait, Jack activates Battle Fader [0/0]. Smart move; the battle phase is forcibly ended by Battle Fader's appearance on the field. Not to be deterred, Crow elects to wait. We are now at three Speed Counters, ladies and gentlemen, and Jack has yet to begin damaging Crow with any real effort. Well, as expected of the King; he's starting. He special summons Synclone Resonator [100/100] due the presence of Black-Winged Dragon, or Black Feather Dragon as its more popularly known, and then normal summons Star Gather [0/0]. Star Gather activates its effect, it turns into level seven, one below that of Black Feather. I don't think I need to add more... the World King's trump card is coming!"_

"Tuning, level seven Star Gather to level one Synclone Resonator!" Jack roared. "_The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Demon's Dragon!_"

A majestic, rippling roar echoed through the racing track as large, leathery wings spread, its ram's horns spiralling back and its black maw open, the demonic-looking creature's tail thrashed back as it flew above the white wheel-motorcycle [3000/2000]. Behind it, Black Feather seemed to roar in answer.

Xavier was relatively sure that all of New York's telepaths could feel the psychic excitement and rage, like Logan in a particularly belligerent mood about to let loose, packed into one large, terrifying package from the dragon itself. One holographic mind was an exception, two a coincidence, and three... is a pattern.

Clearly, there was a pattern going on with Team 5Ds.

_It's as if someone called one of your rages to heel, and pushed all that force into willing the world what they wanted it to be,_ he remembered what he had told Logan about the dragon, Ancient Fairy Dragon.

"Those dragons... all your ace monsters are dragons?" he carefully worded the question he posed to Yusei Fudo; for all the auditory blindness of normal people, he had no doubt that Yusei would be wary.

"Yes, that's why we called our team '5Ds', or five dragons," Yusei seemed absorbed in the Duel as well. "A bit misleading, since there were actually six, but then only four of us participated in the WRGP itself, so it's nothing wrong, really."

"Ancient Fairy, Black Feather, Red Demon's belong to the same... family?" Xavier hazarded. "What are the other three?"

Clearly he had over-extended; Yusei now looked at him severely. "Does this have to do with Ruka's condition? I am asking this, please understand, because those cards are one-of-a-kind and I understand that the black market for Duel Monster cards like mine and my friends' is particularly-"

"A personal curiosity," Xavier hurriedly answered, slightly relieved. "Rest assured that my interest lies only in the cards' relation to Ruka's psyche."

"Ah. There are three more, yes," Yusei looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Rua's Life Stream, Aki's Black Rose, and my Stardust. They are proof of the precious bonds between us."

"The Signer Dragons," Diana's remark was clearly audible even over the din of the stands. "Servants of the Crimson Dragon and proof of the Signers."

Six dragons, three established to somehow hold a form of sentience between them. It only remained to see if the other three were the same. Whatever the common link between them, it was clear; there was one, of some secret hidden from him by the members of Team 5Ds, and Diana Hunter knew of it.

* * *

The Duel was over. Jack and Crow had somehow managed to Duel each other to a fierce draw, even despite what was clearly their best efforts at defeating each other. Fans had screamed and groaned and therefore, Xavier was clearly not expected when it came time to meet the last members of the former Team 5Ds.

Outwardly the glowering man, now in a white trench coat, was calm and cool as Storm about to summon lightning, but to a telepath, hostility was practically vibrating off him. Overall, Jack Atlas after a heated Duel with a disappointing result reminded Xavier of Logan before morning coffee. That is, a bear with little to no hope of achieving sentience without the black brew any time soon after waking.

Crow Hogan was the unstoppable force to Jack's immovable object, it seemed. Like the blackbirds that made up most of his deck and his own namesake, Crow was flashy despite his lack of height, and the look shot towards Xavier was wary as well.

"So you're the reason why Yusei called me," was Jack's opening spiel. "You're the one from the school?"

"Xavier's Institute of Higher Learning, yes," Xavier clarified.

"Ah," Crow gave Xavier an assessing look. Whatever decision concerning the attitude that should be taken towards him, Crow Hogan apparently decided to shelve it until more information could be gotten. "So what's this about Ruka and Duels? Please, don't send the bill to any of us."

"Crow..." a few sighs, those resigned ones that told Xavier that this reaction was completely expected.

"Professor!" Xavier turned to see Jean, with Evan and Kitty hovering behind the telekinetic girl. "Did you know-?"

"Yes, quite," Xavier nodded. "Do you, perchance have a private place we could discuss this?"

"Here," Jack shortly replied. "VIP changing room. Private as well."

"Right, what's the deal?" Crow crossed his arms.

Xavier took a deep breath. "I was called in by their parents to investigate Ruka's condition of hearing voices. It was not long before I realised that of all the voices, one stood out. I did not realise anything at first, but then Rua and Ruka had a Duel, and the Ancient Fairy Dragon was alive in the sentient sense of the word."

At this declaration, he looked at their reactions. Crow's eyes widened, Jack's violet eyes narrowed, Aki looked startled and Yusei professionally blank. Yet, none of them were beginning to dispute the sentience of cards, as if some part of them already knew.

Yusei motioned. "Please go on, professor."

"Today, on the track, during the Duel I sensed not just two minds, but four, that is, that Red Demon's Dragon and Black Feather Dragon shared the exact same state of consciousness," Xavier continued. "Whatever the reason, I believe that the cards' shared consciousness is related to Ruka's state."

"Not the first time," Crow muttered.

"Hearing voices cannot be a good thing," Xavier murmured. "Neither can living cards. Please, allow me to make a study-"

"We are _not_ giving you our cards so you can knock yourself out dissecting them," Crow cut in. All the other Duelists actually looked pained at the very suggestion itself. "No way."

"Perhaps," Xavier acknowledged. "But, then these voices might be an indication-" He was silenced by the simultaneous glares of the four adults of Team 5Ds, before something occurred to him. "What do you mean by the bill, Mr Hogan? Unless... you believe that Ruka might have done something destructive."

Crow's face twitched as he tried to stifle his reaction, but Xavier caught his glance towards a stunned Aki. Her face was white, her expression merely shocked, before morphing into wariness.

"Ms Izayoi?" Xavier gently questioned, picking up a faint panic in her aura. "You have an idea, don't you?"

"I don't," came the faint reply. Xavier was about to press his suit when she continued. "Ruka was only able to talk to Duel Monsters Spirits. Unless she summoned them as well, she doesn't have other powers like psychic Duelists. Not like... not like..."

"You," Xavier gently murmured. "You once had powers, destructive ones. And now you don't."

"Don't read my mind!" The foremost emotion was anger, before it faded to resignation. "Not that I don't... they returned, one day."

"Aki?" Yusei spoke up, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Xavier noted that she leaned into his presence. "You didn't tell us... it'll be okay. We can control them."

Xavier leaned forward. "Perhaps we could begin from the start?"

* * *

"This is a very long tale," was Storm's assessment once Xavier had finished repeating everything the team had said, up to and including the Earthbound Gods in the dark of night in the rented suite Xavier had put Rua and Ruka up with the three mutants. "And are you sure?"

"For one thing, satellite imagery had proven the appearance of geoglyphs all over Neo Domino approximately two and a half years ago," Xavier replied, clicking on his laptops to produce the relevant geoglyphs. "There is notable evidence to back their claims, not to mention prove the existence of the Black Rose Witch."

"But..." Ororo breathed out through her nose. "Then the dragon?"

"A true spirit, presumably an otherworldly entity," Charles Xavier took a deep breath. "But beyond that, I do not think I can gather more, not without knowing how dangerous psychic Duelists can be and how I can phrase my question to them."

Both mutants turned to see Yusei Fudo still on the couch opposite Logan, his clear blue eyes studying them. In his arms, he was still comforting a tired Aki Izayoi. There was wariness, but no hate apparent, merely scientific curiosity easily tempered by goodwill. Ororo was still in the middle of plying tissues and hot chocolate, as the twins had retired for the night and Jack and Crow had long retired to their own hotel rooms before their next event in New York.

"I am sure Ancient Fairy Dragon is not a malevolent entity," Yusei phrased out. "Although, I would appreciate if you could... explain more tactfully to their parents."

"In my experience, parents do not tend to take any bad news tactfully," Xavier demurred.

"I would not know," Yusei shrugged. "If you say so."

"They rely on you," Xavier guessed.

"Maybe," Yusei gestured.

Xavier merely shook his head when faced with the inexplicable that surrounded Yusei Fudo. "What do you know about Duel spirits?"

"That usually they come with the card, and they symbolise certain spirits," Yusei frowned. "Aside from that, nothing."

"Well," Xavier paused. "On the day I met the twins, Ruka told me that she saw a Guardian Elma hovering around. On the same day, the Institute was broken into, and our data banks tampered with. Only our files containing information on two things were destroyed, utterly wiped out of the system. One of those subjects were the Arcadia Movement. The other was Black Rose Witch. I suspected mutant activity at work concerning these two entities, and so I kept files on them. If it were not for Ruka spotting the Duel spirit, we would not have been able to determine that a theft did take place."

"I understand," Yusei nodded. "So you think that someone has something to do with the Arcadia Movement? But-"

"We have established that the thief is Diana Hunter," Xavier nodded. "However, we do not have proof."

"Diana-san?" Aki choked. "But... she-"

"Diana-san has a... very flexible moral compass," Yusei answered in resignation. "Although... there is something that strikes you. There is more than just a mere theft, correct?"

Xavier mentally admired how fast Yusei seemed to pick up facts. "The Guardian Elma was attached to Madam Hunter."

"No, it wasn't."

"I'm sorry?"

"Usually, the spirit would take the form of a monster card that the owner actually owns," Yusei stressed. "In Ruka's case, it's Ancient Fairy Dragon and Regulus. I don't know any other people who can see Duel spirits, but I know that the card itself, Guardian Elma, is now rarer due to tournament rules changing and Elma effectively becoming inaccessible due to the lack of the Butterfly Dagger – Elma equip Spell card. I don't think anyone else other than Rafael owns a copy of Guardian Elma."

As expected, it took a fellow Duelist to figure out everything.

"Madam Hunter plays Duel Monsters as well?" Ororo posed, as if the thought just occurred to her.

"She's a Psychic Duelist," Yusei replied, as if that answered everything. In many ways, it did. "An incredibly powerful one, being in control of her powers.

"The next question... might be uncomfortable for Ms Izayoi," Xavier demurred. "I understand if you might be uncomfortable with your past, but it might be imperative to defeat Diana Hunter, or find out her intentions with the stolen information. Otherwise... another Divine might appear."

Aki sat up, her back ramrod straight despite her continued grip on Yusei's hand. "N- No. I'll answer."

"Excellent, thank you," Xavier nodded. "What, may I ask, beyond purely making Duel Monsters real, can psychic Duelists do?"

Aki frowned. "Just that, but the gift itself has a wide scope if we interpret it as such."

Xavier and Storm waited as Aki pulled out from her bag a small device that was quickly unpacked into a plate-like device Xavier recognised as a DuelDisk, from which she unpacked a compartment and drew a card that she turned to show the two men, that of a green-framed card showing a pink brain and two sharp-fingered hands, equally green.

"Brain Control," Aki explained, reading the effect out. "'Pay 800 Life Points to target one face-up monster your opponent controls; take control of that target until the End Phase.' Depending on the context, I could technically use mind-control to temporarily take control of anyone I face."

She blinked a few times to adjust to the light and then raised her eyes back up to look at the Professor, waiting for the judgement to fall. The Professor inhaled slightly, but never turned away. In fact... "Fascinating. How long would the effect last?"

"I... don't know," Aki shyly admitted. "I was more focused on the destruction aspect of my monsters and effects."

"Diana-san might," Yusei volunteered.

"She's unlikely to tell us," Logan snorted.

"She would if I phrased it properly," Yusei answered. "She once gave me a full in-depth explanation on the various contexts that could be employed with a psychic Duelist when I asked her exactly what she meant by teaching students how to combat using psychic Dueling."

"Teaching?" Logan echoed. "There's _more_ people?"

"About fifty thousand in Neo Domino itself by now, according to Diana-san," Yusei nodded. "A few in the United States. She came here from Peru to finalise details with the psychic Duelists about joining the Arcadia Movement she was going to revive."

"Why do you know- oh, yes, you were invited onto the board," Xavier nodded distractedly. "Which means that you know everything."

"Most things. Except for the full list of members. I didn't get around to memorising it."

"Good enough," Xavier nodded. "What exactly is Diana Hunter doing with the Arcadia Movement?"

"A worldwide network," Yusei promptly answered. "Well, as far as I can get, there are already various groups around based on the original Arcadia Movement, except that most of them weren't led by... people like Divine. What Diana-san was planning was essentially gathering them into a loosely held network across the world under the banner of the most famous of the Psychic Duelist groups, the Arcadia Movement."

"That sounds agreeable," Ororo replied. "Now if only Charles had managed to do the exact same thing, instead of splitting the pro-mutant movement with Magneto."

Xavier sighed. "But... there would be different perspectives, that is guaranteed. I doubt that for all her power, Diana Hunter has actually managed to achieve the impossible."

"At least one in all the continents, except North America, for now," Yusei recalled.

"How? In such a situation, there would definitely be differences in perspectives," Xavier pointed out. "It's sad, but people are not so kind as to rally for peace all the time. Even amongst mutants, there are dissents."

"Brotherhood," Ororo agreed.

"I didn't see any," Yusei blankly replied. "Well, a few here and there, but mostly minor opinions. I didn't see any strong resistance..."

"That's impossible," Xavier reiterated. "Unless... no, we're getting off subject."

"Unless... they're dead," Ororo gently murmured.

"Unless... she was behind it," Aki murmured.

"I think..." Yusei slowly stated. "That I have a pretty good idea what happened to them. And that, the frightening thing is, I would not put it past Diana-san."

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

"You is a brute, _mon glouton._ Do you have any idea what yo' are doing t' Remy?" Gambit hissed as he slowly picked his way through the lock. "What are we doing back in this hell-hole?"

"Unknown data signal transferred from the school to around here," was the answer Wolverine grunted. "Around the same time as the theft. Might be from Hunter."

"_Mais oui_, der _coquette_ is rather like _mon tante_, terrifying," Gambit faked a shudder to make his point. "What are we looking for?"

"They mentioned something, a _billet_-_doux_," Logan racked his head for the plans of the Damon Institute. "This place's crawling with physicists, especially people respectable enough to be invited by the likes of Richards. At the Baxter, there was a fire at the conference, when they picked up something."

"A drop point?" Gambit quietly inferred as the door swung open with a quiet _click._ "Information, huh... den der love letter might be in a SD card or a USB. Easy to transport, safe, canna be tampered, simple to smuggle off. Well, fences might leave copies, but otherwise..."

"Just find a computer and stick this in," Logan groaned as he waved the USB around.

"_Oui_," Gambit muttered as he threw a faintly glowing card at a nearby camera. "Still... no one here-"

The door swung open and both mutants paused at the sight of many people sitting across each other and dealing cards. A few chips were scattered in piles and singles about the felt-covered table. Music, a guitar-drum combo drifted about.

Remy felt his hands twitched. "Blackjack?"

"We meet again, Mr LeBeau." Stiletto heels clicked as who else but the ringleader sauntered forward. "And how would I address your companion?"

Gambit's face would have turned pale, and did turn a more severe shade of white, as he looked at her. "_Merde_."

"Come now, language. I've heard of the Gambit, but to be working with the X-Men... well, there are a lot of words I could say, and none of them are quite so vitriolic as disappointed," was the blithe reply.

"Same kind?" was the faint reply. Gambit was not even going for the exploding cards... must be seriously terrified, Logan concluded. Of what, and of who, that was the question.

"You could come in, and we could play a game," Diana pleasantly concluded. "Or... would you prefer the hard way? I'm a sporting woman."

"A game?" Gambit echoed in disbelief.

"Yes. Or, _oui._" Diana motioned to the table, taking the end further from the table. "We play with chips. The condition is that whoever wins all of the other side's chips first wins. If you win, you and your companion may leave. If I win, you and him stay. Standard rules. You and your companion can team up if needed. If either side gets violent then we reserve the right to defend ourselves."

"Or I could run out of here," Wolverine slowly prepared to draw his claws. "With him."

Diana took a deep breath as she drew a card from her pocket. "Do you know the concept of Duel Monsters?"

"Non, Remy plays with big boy cards, not childish-" Gambit caught himself as chains snapped out of the card and paralysed his entire form. At the same time, Diana drew another card to lash out at Logan, the cantankerous X-Man falling to the ground flat.

"Play, and win, or forfeit," Diana shrugged. "The Arcadia Movement would love to take this chance."

The background music itself seemed to drift from the back, the words surprisingly portent...

_She seems to come from everywhere,  
Welcome to the dragon's lair,  
Fingers running through your hair,  
She asks you out to play... _

Still downed, Logan groaned. It was not the groan of disappointment, but rather one of... pain. Hard it was to believe, the Wolverine was in pain.

"Pestilence," Diana's voice was helpful and informative and a lot of things that basically meant that she was hurting the Wolverine before the eyes of Gambit. "Attach to Warrior, Spellcaster or Beast-Warrior Type. Attack power becomes zero, and every turn the controller takes five hundred damage. Which effectively leaves the Wolverine unable to fight back and receiving periodical damage."

A grunt.

"And that's the kidneys," came the helpful murmur.

"Don't worry, Logan," Gambit muttered. "Der Wolverine, he has a healing factor. We only need to wait until the rest of them get here."

"Gambit..." Wolverine bit out. "It's not working?"

"_Excusez moi?_"

"Somehow... she turned off the healing factor," Wolverine bit out as his claws scratched at the floor, though the adamantium did not bite the planks underneath.

"Skill Drain works on mutants as well," Diana plainly replied. "Did you know how long it took me to find a copy?"

Fearless, brave Wolverine, lying on the floor, grunting for as long as _cracks_ began to sound from his own body. Wolverine began coughing, and Remy did not like that cough. Gambit wholeheartedly agreed with Remy.

"If dis Cajun wins... you cure Wolverine, kapeesh?" Gambit growled. "And let us go."

"As far as outside the building," Diana nodded. "Or would you relish a challenge?"

"Non, no challenge, Gambit must be practical for once," Gambit swaggered to deposit himself opposite, picking up a single chip and two cards slid over by the dealer. "Hit me."

With the alacrity that must come from frequent association with colourful personalities, the dealer merely slid the card over. The other players had long ambled over to the sidelines to watch, and one soul was actually considerate enough to lend Logan his jacket as an improvised pillow.

"Call," Diana barely blinked at her two cards.

"Raise," Remy smirked as he pulled the card, frowning again. "Hit me."

Another card. Five, four three. Still under.

"Call. Someone, give the Wolverine a brandy."

"Raise. And dis Gambit?"

"Follow. You need your wits, Mr LeBeau. Unless, for some perverse reason you do wish to stay and have me inflict pain upon your very person."

"_Non, non,_" Remy glared at the two. "Hit me."

"Call. Oh, and this is a Game of Darkness, so those who cheat would have to go through a penalty game, okay?"

"Raise. Whatever." A six. Remy's hand fanned out to show his five cards. "Twenty."

Her hand flipped the Ace and Queen over. "_Vingt-et-un._ Pay up."

It happened again. And again. Even when it came his turn to deal, and Gambit resolved to cheat.

How had the Ace managed to slip there even with the lack of sleeves about her person to hide the card, Remy hardly knew as one of his hands were drawn back for Diana to snatch the Queen of Hearts out of.

"You cheated." Her expression looked sad.

"_Meh_," Gambit debated his options. Logan might have looked slightly ill, but someone had given him a bright orange shock blanket, plied him with brandy, and given him a makeshift pillow. So far, the people present were not about to slit his throat open, since people with that sort of intention never treated their captives nicely. "I lose, I give myself to you. But... could you make Logan better?"

"He fights, I take it out on your hide," Diana briskly murmured, but drew another card and muttered. Almost immediately Logan seemed more improved.

"You is a nice _femme_," Gambit shook his head. "Why?"

Diana was saved from answering when Iemitsu entered the makeshift poker room. "Madam, we are under attack."

Behind, an explosion and the sound of cracking steel sounded.

"Already?" Diana looked irritated. "I have nothing on the Xavier Institute. Just go already. They'll kill you if you're here."

"Wha?" But Diana had already marched out with Iemitsu in tow.

"Can I show you the way out?" Iemitsu was still standing there. "And can Mr Wolverine stand? I fear that we may not be able to handle him."

"You... know?" Gambit stared at him.

Most would have flinched under his red and black gaze, but Iemitsu held his ground. "The Damon Institute will not hold for long."

"I'm fine," a shaking Wolverine hauled himself to his feet. "And I hate brandy."

"If you say so," the manservant looked unperturbed. "May I show you the way out?" An explosion sounded overhead, at odds with Iemitsu's calm politeness.

"... This is bizarre," was Wolverine's conclusion as he unsheathed his claws. "Now quit the bloody politeness. What's going on?"

"A mere attack upon the Damon Institute."

"A _mere-_?" All three men dived as the door was riddled by something resembling blunt force trauma and then, silence.

"A mere attack," Iemitsu repeated, dusting his cuffs off briskly as he got up after the bullet barrage. "Monsieur LeBeau, Mr Wolverine, the Madam is about to blow up the Institute. Please follow me if you wish not to get lost."

"She left you as a guide?" Logan snorted as the two mutants reluctantly followed one seemingly ordinary, if overly polite, manservant.

"A trusted guide," the man nodded as they walked, albeit slightly slowly. "As you may well know, I am Iemitsu."

"Jap," Wolverine slurred.

"Yes."

"You said that she was blowing this building sky-high?" Gambit interrupted.

"Only as a last-resort that is often resorted to more than should be comfortable. Hopefully we are not so overrun that she would need to do so."

They turned a corner, and two men charged the party. Gambit whacked his staff out, and one went down. The other was rapidly dispatched by Wolverine slamming him into the nearest wall.

The one Gambit had taken down wheezed, drawing a familiar card. "_Ookazi_!"

Wolverine only just narrowly avoided the fireball of intense heat. "What the hell was that?"

"A psychic Duelist," Iemitsu slammed the man into the wall again. The mook sank onto the floor. For good measure, Iemitsu also shuffled through their pockets and put away two decks of cards. "We should continue."

"We're heading up," Gambit realised. "Wrong direction."

"I assure you, it is the entirely correct one," Iemitsu murmured as he reached the grey-painted door. "Mr Wolverine?"

The door was certainly not Wolverine-proof, that much was clear when it was sliced to ribbons. "I don't trust you."

"I am not asking you to," Iemitsu murmured as he walked towards a ski-bridge to the adjoining building. "Madam, we are safe. You may proceed with the complete destruction of the Damon Institute.

Almost in answer, ten round lights glittered in the distance, and Logan spied a set of metal racks containing something roughly like cannonballs but which military experience told him tended to be more damaging. "Shit... Run!"

Gambit might have argued, but the Cajun did have a whit of self-preservation, and when Logan said run, you ran, no questions asked.

Three pairs of feet had barely crossed the bridge when the barrage began, glass shattering as cement and concrete shattered under the sheer onslaught of projectiles. No casings dropped; there were apparently none to spend. Simple, elemental destruction, not like an atom bomb as much as a storm of something unexplainable, an elemental storm called upon to deal out judgement. Lumpy metal spheres, maybe twenty or thirty of them, flew out into the air. They exploded in a ripple of thunder and light. Spheres flew in deadly sprays, rattling off walls and tearing into concrete and steel with savage efficiency. The cannon-sphere flared into azure incandescence, energy from the shrapnel being absorbed and shed as flashbulb-bright bursts of light. The sound was indescribable, almost loud enough to kill all on its own.

And then, it was over; the cannon faded once its barrage was spent, leaving only an empty spot where it stood and the broken-down remains of the sinking building next door.

"Hello?" Diana was already calling a cellphone. "Looks like we got back our answer. It took destroying the whole building to handle it. At least, no one's inside."

Sirens were wailing in the distance when Diana finally deigned to move, only to be faced with a sharp adamantium claw. "Talk," Logan grated.

Blue eyes merely met feral gold. "Swords of Revealing Light."

The sabres of light pierced through both mutants, holding them into place.

"Iemitsu, let's go," Diana never looked back as she left.

"Oi! Leave some answers!" Logan bellowed, and continued bellowing for the three minutes it took for the Swords to wear off and for both X-Men to make their escape from the New York Police Department.

"A whole building," Logan grated as both men panted from their near brush with the law of New York. "A whole building, kaboom, and she never turned a hair. I think there were people still in there."

"Methinks... I think she doesn't see them a' people anymore," Gambit shivered. "That _femme_, if you're her enemy, she'd destroy you. Do' think she cares, using a scorched earth policy like that."

"No hesitation, just burn the whole thing down," Logan growled. "Think I like her style, if nothing else."

* * *

Deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. So Charles Xavier told himself as he prepared to immerse himself into the event about to happen. For the past few hours beforehand, he had been debating with a rather persuasive man.

"Dr Fudo..."

"Please, call me Yusei," the raven-haired man replied. While not looking particularly heavyset, the Japanese man clearly possessed an aura of reliability and dependability, as he had exhibited in persuading Aki and the twins to sleep before meeting Xavier in Baxter's lobby. "Mr Xavier... I may not have an understanding of the human minds, but I know something about bonds. I assure you that Ancient Fairy Dragon is a relatively harmless entity."

"Relatively harmless," Xavier pronounced. "You know that... that that dragon could be harmful if she chose."

"Ruka awoke when she was three years old," Yusei defended. "If Ancient Fairy had ill intent, she would've kept Ruka in the Spirit world instead."

"Pardon me, Dr Fudo, but... this talk of spirits... I may accept that perhaps, some people can inflict damage through a game, but _spirits_-"

"I'd submit, it is difficult to accept," Yusei spread his arms out in a vague gesture. "I suppose there is much more Duelist than Signer in me. If it weren't for Aki and Ruka's power, I would have had a lot more difficulty believing in the whole thing about the Crimson Dragon and struggles against ancient evil gods."

"Ancient evil-"

"Never mind that," Yusei stressed. "The point is, that while Ruka and Aki may slip up now and then, they are people in control of their destiny. For over two years already, Aki has managed to be able to love and think for herself when previously she would rather have depended on others."

_What does a witch like me have to think about? So long as Divine shows me the way and loves me, then-!_

_No! You have to love yourself!_

_If I could do that... if I could... no, I can't! Can't you see that I'm suffering?!_

Xavier picked up those fragments of memories, and more, and deciding upon one crucial fact. "Aki Izayoi was once a member of the Movement."

"Yes..." Yusei nodded. "I am... a friend. A concerned friend."

"Maybe more."

"Aki is... a precious friend of mine," Yusei hit upon.

Xavier privately thought that perhaps, more than that, but otherwise the physicist had hit upon that crucial aspect. "I think, that I understand. And Ruka? What do I tell her parents?"

Yusei sighed, setting his mug down to meet Xavier eye to stark, serious eye. "I think... perhaps, you could sit in with Ancient Fairy Dragon. If, perhaps... perhaps I could mediate with her. Ruka had entrusted me with Ancient Fairy Dragon before, I think I might be able to reach out to her."

Xavier had his doubts, but he had been admittedly at the end of his tether. It was an emotion that was prone to occur when he was confronted with anything quasi-magical.

As it were, it took him a while to open his eyes to the forest. Dimly, he was aware of his physical body, and across it Yusei's own body. The other professor stood across him, not in smart attire and white lab coat, but now in a dark blue jacket over a shirt with dark trousers and brown gloves and racing boots.

"I think... I wore this during the one time I held Ancient Fairy Dragon," Yusei frowned down at his attire. He then looked at the shapely trees with their crowns of gold in sunlight, wan and yet bright, and sighed.

_And you did, Fudo Yusei. _Ancient Fairy Dragon was there, wings spread. _Welcome to the Ancient Forest. You led the meddler here, I see. That meddler who dared to pry into Ruka's heart without permission has obviously not learned his lesson._

"Ancient Fairy Dragon," Yusei nodded in greeting. "Mr Xavier is very apologetic about his invasion of Ruka's privacy. Aren't you, Mr Xavier?"

"I'm a telepath, it's..." Xavier stopped in the face of Yusei's expression. Clearly, the raven-haired man was offended. It almost reminded him of Steve Rogers, though Xavier doubted that Yusei could do half the things Captain America did. "I... am sorry. Ancient Fairy Dragon... could you clarify? Are we in Ruka's mind, or are we in another world?"

_We are in the Ancient Forest. The overlap, if you must know. Though, there are others like Ruka, who holds the keys to the world of Spirits._

"You are embodied in a card," Xavier pointed out.

_I... yes, the card is my vessel in this time, as is Ruka. You have questions, Charles Xavier. Why I and those like I, why we can be alive though your science would argue otherwise. I answer you, that I exist, as I have existed since before the dawn of mankind, and will continue to exist. I am; so why are you questioning my existence?_

Xavier could hardly debate the specifics in the face of such sagacity. "Of course, I did not mean to question your existence, but inanimate objects are not meant to hold living beings-"

_Again, an incorrect judgement. By the strictest criteria of your mortal-kind, I would not be 'alive'. I _exist._ The closest you may judge is that I am sentient, and I am powerful. _

Xavier felt that they had accomplished great progress. At the very least, the dragon had yet to shut him out. "I am appealing to you, Ancient Fairy Dragon. I have promised the girl's parents that I will help her. Ancient Fairy Dragon... the girl, Ruka, she is young yet. She has a future. Please leave her, please do not interfere in her future with regular society."

_Charles Xavier, you are curious about our existence, but it is not in you to question this time. _The dragon's great head cocked to one side. _Not for a long, long time, and not by those like you. I swore an oath to protect the girl to my last breath. No matter the legends you mortals speak about my kind, we keep our promises. I will remain to keep my promise. I swear unto you, Charles Xavier, that I mean no harm to the girl, that only her ability and our shared fate keeps us together. Even if our bond is shattered, there will be a shadow of creation, that the universe will remember our bonds._

Idly, Ancient Fairy drifted over to be face to face with Yusei. _Fudo Yusei... the one who made the bonds that defied fate. The one who averted the horrible future that would have happened. _

Yusei barely blinked. "Ancient Fairy Dragon. We meet again."

_You assist the tempestuous spell-caster and her guardian. _One claw scratched at her cuff._ It is an admirable choice. I hope that we will meet once more at the crossroads of fate with Stardust at your beck, but I dare not wish it._

Some part of Xavier commented that perhaps, the dragon was fond of Yusei. That part of him had clearly picked up too much from Logan.

_Was there a deeper reason than what you already know that you request an audience? _The dragon was clearly prone to mood swings, of a sort.

"What is it like?" Yusei spoke out. "To be closer than maybe even between siblings to Ruka?"

_I... I see the nature of your question, Fudo Yusei, that as a spirit partner I am far closer to Ruka than can be achieved physically, _the dragon nodded. _Yes, that is a question that would allow you to gain insight, if not actual knowledge. It is risky; because I myself am here, undesirables like the last one may enter the spirit world with Ruka. And yet... it is a powerful bond, it goes two ways. It is a bond forged by destiny, one-of-a-kind, two hearts together in an intimate sense rather than the romantic sense. It is the undeniable trust that a Duelist has for those of his deck. I think, maybe you would understand it like that, you who hold bonds so dear._

Yusei nodded. "Because Duelists, no matter how powerful, need the cards first. So the cards become everything."

Xavier frowned, and continued to even as the forest faded around them. He then faced Yusei, who was now opening his eyes, and both men looked at Ruka sleeping on the bed.

At the side, Rua was still keeping watch.

Ruka opened her eyes, glancing at the Professor. "I don't think you understand."

"I don't think it's possible for me to," Xavier gently answered. "Yet I think I do. You have a very unusual friend, Ruka."

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

In the morning after Xavier's conversation with Yusei, Aki came to herself in a tumble of sheets, a huddled curl on a soundless mattress. _Where... what_...

She remembered lightning. An earth-shaking roar. The sudden, wondrous thrill of _knowing_ the pattern of magic, of living half in herself, half in the mind of the be-winged glory that had come at her every call. Struck, and missed, and tried to strike again-

In utter confusion did she awake from her dream, and the first thing she noticed was that her room choking with the cloying fragrance of her symbolic flower. The single long-stemmed rose left in the vase on her dresser table has grown, the carpet buried in petals and leaves.

Having to explain to housekeeping what happened to the rose to turn it into a full-fledged bush, that was a good reason why one should never summon Black Rose Dragon in a dream, Aki mused. Yet, there was one clear fact...

Her room phone tinkered. Absently, the doctor plucked up the receiver. "Izayoi."

"_Aki-san,_" the dulcet tones of Diana Hunter trailed through the line. "_I am Diana Hunter. My apologies for the late hour. Could I call you for a conversation?_"

Aki shook her head, clearing the fog of sleep from her mind. "My apologies, Diana-san, but... couldn't you deal with this tomorrow?"

"_I'm sorry, Aki-san, that is growing to be more unlikely given that I had just blown up the Damon Institute building._"

"What?!" Aki almost yelled. "You-"

"_Aki-san, did Divine ever discuss what he was doing with your DNA map?_" Diana cut in. "_Do you know of the Damon Institute?_"

"I- I know," Aki bit out. "Divine mentioned them, I think... something about great psychic capability, right? Checking if children could have any potential gifts..."

"_Come down to the lobby if you wish for answers, Aki Izayoi,_" Diana urged. "_Come down if you still want a future for children like Toby Tredwell._" Then she hung up.

Aki was left facing a beeping receiver at that declaration. Dropping the phone into its cradle, the doctor in training got up, stretched, and did a meticulous toilette. It was in less than ten minutes that Aki finally got out of the lift lobby towards where Diana was waiting.

Fighting down a sense of curiosity, the voluptuous red-head sat opposite the couple. "You called me. I came down. Explain. Please."

"Here," Diana frowned as she produced a sheaf of paper. "I can't let you keep that, I'll have to destroy it later."

Aki bit her lower lip as she thumbed through the whole thing, quickly at first, before going over it once more at a slower pace. It was therefore in the relatively anonymous privacy of the lobby that the sheaf was set down with rather more force than necessary. "I- Is this...?"

"I have no reason to lie to you," was Diana's quiet answer. "Following Professor Xavier's treatise on maternally inherited genetic changes, a new dimension was added to the research done at the Damon Institute, which is known to be... well, a lot like Divine. Details concerning the children abducted by the Arcadia Movement under Divine and their testing... there are a few with heightened powers, like you and I, but more of such is always possible."

"What are you getting at?" Aki murmured.

"On the basis of such, the Damon Institute integrated technology that was 'borrowed' from the Xavier Institute to cross-reference women with the genetic predisposition to produce Psychic Duelists with the most heightened abilities," Diana's voice was flat as she related the news. "Of course, since the rules that govern genetic inheritance are hardly fixed, men were also included in the list. The result was a report called the _billet-doux_, the entire list of such people that number in the hundreds, along with the potential probabilities of such. From the very beginning, the children of the listed people would be marked from birth."

"What?" Aki protested. "B- But that means-!"

"From the very beginning, the children of such people will be targeted," Diana murmured, a note of disgust evident. "My own as well, assuming that I live long enough to give birth, and your own as well, and as well as the children of these other people. The children of witches, what a joke..."

"That's not possible!" Aki protested, though her eyes seemed to accept the truth. "That..."

"Is it really?"

"I... I don't know..." Aki shook her head. "X- Xavier said... you broke in for this. You stole the l-"

"The _billet-doux_," Diana nodded. "Do you really think that Psychic Duelists have merely started to hide into society once more when the furore with the Arcadia Movement was done? No, they bided their time. What we are holding now is essentially a recruitment list, whoever who holds this has the best chance of bolstering their numbers. In my chosen goal, the enemies are not only those who hate those like us, but also the same people as us who will not accept co-existence. Fragile monsters, witches, freaks, I have heard it all. Psychic Duelists face the same problems as mutants and mutant advocates, maybe worse because our numbers are so much smaller and the potential is so much. Why did you come down here, Izayoi Aki?"

"I... I think, I wanted to know," Aki nodded. "And... I wanted to prevent cases like Toby... why didn't you tell Yusei?"

"There are... some very hard facts I cannot hold Yusei complicit in," Diana nodded firmly. "I think you know, how these destructive powers have plagued our lives before. Even if you don't have power... you have medical training. Even if you cannot help me... if I bring a horde of children to you, can you treat them?"

"A horde of children?" Aki blinked. "Why-?"

"There is a very apt quote here," Diana reflected as she began to stand, taking back her papers. "Well, Dr Izayoi, I await your answer. You know where to call. Good day."

* * *

"Do you think she'll accept?" Rafael muttered as sunset approached New York City. Although the financial capital of the States was still alight with street-lights, there was a very definite sense of when respectable activities should be conducted, and when the more sordid side of life came out, and all of it under the cover of day and night, by some human instinct.

"Perhaps," Diana acknowledged, staring at the bleeding orange sunlight streaming in from curtained windows. "We could have pulled in more doctors..."

"You're trying to corner her," Rafael sighed. "Diana..."

"I make no apologies of who I am," Diana resolved. "There could have been an element of manipulation behind my sudden request of Aki, but..."

"Diana," Rafael groaned. "That's just... not morally right."

"Again, by whose moral standards?" Diana posed.

"Dear, I love you, but..." Rafael sighed. "I know you're doing this for a good cause, but sometimes the ends do _not_ define the means."

"I wouldn't know," Diana shrugged. "I have always determined that I will carry out this action. It is the responsibility of a leader to choose who lives and, sometimes, who dies. I cannot afford to hold back if the rumours are true that they have hired Sabretooth."

Rafael just shook his head, already used to his wife's arguments and reasoning. "Just... show some mercy, okay?"

The room phone rang, and Diana shifted from her proximity to Rafael to pluck the receiver. "Diana Hunter."

"_Diana-san,_" came Aki's quiet voice. "_I... I accept. But only as far as medical treatment, and then... I might not be able to do much_."

"_I thank you, then,_" Diana replied without any inflection in her voice. "I will call your cell-phone when the time comes to call upon your services. Oh, and, the Baxter serves a lobster dinner to kill for, and it appears that I have made a reservation for two without recognising that maybe I wouldn't be there even though it's already paid for. It's such a shame, please, take Yusei along."

"_E- Eh? B- But-_"

"Yes?" Diana impatiently replied.

"_Erm... Yusei has something to say to you._"

It took a moment for the word to sink in. "Why, of course, you're both in the same room. I hope that last night was enjoyable."

"_D- Diana-san...! Yusei, you deal with it._"

There was a moment of silence, assumed to be the phone changing hands, before Yusei's voice came over the line. "_Diana_-san."

"Yusei? Is something wrong? I've made a dinner reservation under Hunter, but I don't think I can make it-"

"_Diana-san. I know about it already,_"the raven-haired man ploughed over Diana's excuses."_I want to see it. Everything, what you're setting out to do tonight. I will see exactly to what lengths are you going to resort to._"

"...fine. I'll pick you up at the lobby at seven. Dress in clothes that blend in." The receiver's reunion with the cradle was meted with unnecessary force.

"Bad?" Rafael twirled one black lock around his right pointer.

"Yusei found out," Diana kissed the finger as she leaned in to the larger body. "Says he's coming along. I feel bad, that I'm probably going to make him an accessory to what is effectively murder."

There it was; no mincing facts. That Diana Hunter had had blood stain her hands, and was still going to do so. Rafael just held her close, broken and hurting and still tempestuous like a hurricane, a force of nature. It was probably the only thing he could have done for now.

A long moment passed... "Oh dear."

"Yes?"

"Looks like they played their hand earlier than first thought."

* * *

"It smacks of manipulation, Diana's actions," was Xavier's assessment when Aki Izayoi came to him. Well, she came to Yusei, and Yusei put the problem in front of him with her tacit permission, and hence Xavier was debating until finally Aki had made the call to Diana. "The Damon Institute did indeed work with our Institute concerning the identification of mutants. I suppose that they... merely multi-tasked." No need to mention Cerebro to them, no need.

"I thought so too," Aki murmured. "But, Yusei... what if it's real? That there are other Psychic Duelists..."

"We will dispatch a team to handle it, assuming that indeed, it is correct," Xavier smoothly replied, never noticing the minds outside... not until the window opened.

Yusei tilted his head. "What is that?"

Claws impaling the window ledge, his tracker's teeth gleamed in the approaching twilight. A huge, leather-and-fur clad man forced his way through the shattered window frame, teeth growling face before a claw-tipped backhand slammed Yusei.

Lank blond hair fell past Sabretooth's shoulders, swinging into feral eyes. "Xavier."

"Sabretooth!" Xavier started, not before the blond man dived, not for the red-head but rather Aki.

With a snarl, Aki drew a card. "Rose Tentacles!"

The otherworldly rose-creature dropped onto Sabretooth, claws scoring the parquet of the rented rooms yet the feral mutant still rammed into the rose creature, which used this opportunity to wrap a dozen green tentacles all around him like a particularly recalcitrant octopus.

At the same time, chains snapped out around the dazed Yusei, before the shaken professor was hauled out of the shattered window. The feral mutant attempted to dive, but the door burst open to reveal Wolverine, claws already bared at the very idea of Sabretooth about.

Then Logan paused at the sight of the slender-looking rose-creature. "Er... there's a giant plant in your suite, Chuck. And it's holding down Sabretooth."

"Move it!" was the scream outside, before there was a slap, and Diana Hunter came charging up from behind. "We heard a-" she paused, taking in the wreckage, three stunned mutants, and one Duel Monster made solid. "Commotion," she finished.

Behind her, Rafael milled about, with Ororo hot on his heels. "I'm sorry, this is a private-"

"Ororo, please," Xavier calmed the leader of the X-Men with a hand raised. "Madam Hunter. Dr Fudo was just kidnapped. Apparently time was of the essence, as the very appearance of Sabretooth seemed to prove."

With a snarl, Sabretooth managed to cut himself free, and instead of diving for Logan, jumped for the window. "Next time, Logan."

"Meteor of Destruction."

There was nothing, and then there was fire, cooking flesh and hot enough to singe maybe even Logan. Xavier did not even dare turn away from the sight of Sabretooth being cooked alive. Sabretooth fell to hit the scored parquet.

"Restrain him, Aki-san," Diana grated. "Unless you want us to comb the whole of New York for a headquarters that may or may not have moved, I suggest you hold onto Mr Creed for that very useful information he holds."

The feral mutant was already clawing for the window, the door, maybe even to Wolverine, but the Rose Tentacles merely held him up placidly, latching on as green tendrils tightened. There was more than one _crack_, despite Sabretooth's already healing burns; obviously Aki was not intent on sparing the mutant. Obligingly, the Rose Tentacles slammed Sabretooth into a wall, before holding him out to the Professor.

Xavier closed his eyes, before he opened them again. "I see that you've managed to get yourself loose again, Victor."

"Take a runnin' jump, bub," was the reply, with additional sneers. "An' I know you can't make me talk."

"It would take me a few hours to do so," Xavier admitted.

"Well, then Mr Creed must have a change of heart soon, or else Yusei will-" Diana immediately gestured as she made that fact clear. "You nasty evolutionary specimen, you. We should have a chat."

"If yo' make it worth my while," Sabretooth grunted.

Wolverine unleashed his claws with a _schick. _"I wouldn't mind gutting him."

"I was thinking of something more literal," Diana fanned her deck of cards, drawing a single one, a green frame depicting a dualistic angel-devil being. "Aki-san, what do you think?"

Aki Izayoi drew a ragged breath. "Please..."

Silently, Diana played the card before, to the shock of all others, she actually sat cross-legged before Sabretooth's restrained form. "Victor Creed. Tell me, who are your employers?"

"Even if you have telepathy, Sabretooth is-" Xavier trailed off as Sabretooth began to slur.

"I... Richard... Larson... doc..."

Diana nodded. "And where did they take Yusei?"

"That's..." Sabretooth's eyes were dazed, a clearly no-one-home look about. "Hudson Bay... underground... number four."

"Very good, Mr Creed. Cooperate and no one gets seriously hurt." Diana nodded. "And how many people are there?"

"Thirty, thirty-five, maybe more. Dunno exact."

"Very good, Mr Creed. I am sure that this change of heart will benefit us, though your reluctance is assured," Diana's expression was placid as she pocketed the card and put away the device on her arm as she stood.

"P- Professor...?" Scott nervously spoke.

The no-one-home look was quick to retreat. "W- Wha' was that?"

"A change of heart, Mr Creed," Diana's eyes glittered in the faint light. "It can be incredibly invasive, you know." It was... very stunning, how a blithe disregard for any human rights or privacy was summarised in one sentence.

"Madam Hunter, Ms Izayoi," Xavier groaned. "Please, you have to restrain Sabretooth."

"We are talking about the mercenary that has escaped the highest levels of incarceration your nation has to offer, right?" Diana expressed her scepticism long enough to the enemy mutant. "Personally, I feel that people like Mr Creed should be thrown into a hole dug two hundred metres deep in an iceberg, a boulder thrown after you, and then the hole filled with water. Then as you're scrabbling your way about the boulder, perhaps you'd drown before you reach the surface. Or perhaps, since this is the Arctic or Antarctic we're discussing, most likely the water would freeze into solid ice, and you with it. No matter your mutations, I assure you, ice crystals should rip apart your cell membranes, so that even if you thaw out, cells become so much mush. And cold is brutal to biological processes, which includes breathing, respiration, and cell replication. Even if, assuming that you heal, the boulder would pin you into place where you'd either drown or freeze to death first. Unless..." she looked to Wolverine. "I think that sounds like it'd work, do you?"

A feral grin was the answer. "That sounds hardcore. I think I like you."

"Well, it's been a fun chat," Diana rapidly concluded. "Aki, maybe we can hand him over to the X-Men first before we go after Yusei."

"Scott, move the team out after the doctor," Xavier quickly instructed, his voice as level and cold as marble. "Madam Hunter, Ms Izayoi, you're staying here."

_You and what army? _Was the brief thought from Logan. Diana twitched, Aki scowled, Storm prepared to raise her arms-

Diana then smiled. The smile was thin, and even, and as cool as Wolverine's own when about to turn tree trunks into toothpicks.

"Now!"

* * *

Turbulence rocked the Blackbird – the plane, not the hybrid D-Wheel – hard and a piece of equipment Beast had been fiddling with fell from it's resting spot and clanged on the floor before rolling away.

"I'll get it!" was shouted by two voices. Iceman and Nightcrawler both leaned down and reached for it.

BONK!

"OW!" Iceman and Nightcrawler both leaned up and rubbed their foreheads.

"Oh my…" Beast commented. Shadowcat and Spike burst into snickers and guffaws.

Then turbulence hit again and the gadget rolled across the floor once more as the call came in.

* * *

"Oh, no," Xavier groaned.

"I'm afraid they did, sir," Iemitsu might be placid, but Logan had already suspected one reason for Diana's hiring of the manservant, and his hypothesis had been proven correct; the manservant was a psychic as well, and fully capable of restraining Sabretooth by the same dint of cards and willpower as well. "I strongly advise you to not turn your backs on those two in the future."

Right now, Sabretooth was chained to a St. Catherine's Wheel, and it sounded every bit as painful as the other feral was making it out to be.

"You knew," Ororo's tone was dark. "You knew she was going to run out of there."

"And if she had to, she was going to walk right through you, 'Ro," Wolverine stated bluntly. "Like this, we're all heading after the real bad guy."

"With Ms Izayoi in the line of fire!" Xavier looked ill.

"They're _safe_," Wolverine growled, trying to figure out a way to put what he knew into terms his more peaceful associates would understand. Anyone who could threaten Sabretooth so easily – either very brave, very stupid, or very very scary, and Logan was gambling on the last, since she did cook Sabretooth good last time – showed the kind of cold determination Logan wanted on his side. "Did you look at that... complete wreckage, when Charles showed it to you? One whole building, 'bout ten storeys. Boom."

"That's supposed to make us feel better?"

"If anything, think of it this way," Logan shrugged. "There's two of them. And Gambit's after them. We'll catch up. Hopefully in time."

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

Yusei awoke feeling like somebody just bashed him over the head. _Inside_ his head. Overall, not too bad. He was still ambulatory, for one thing. And thinking clearly.

"Are y- you 'kay, mister?" a soft voice muttered, boyish and clearly afraid.

Yusei groaned lowly, before slowly opening his eyes. Apparently, he was trapped, bound, and stuck in the dark inside of a warehouse. There was the occasional hint of sea about the place.

The boy who had spoken was young, maybe barely even ten. A shock of orange hair was the main feature Yusei spotted, along with a freckled face. The boy's T-shirt was grubby, and his pants were only just hanging together.

"You 'kay, mister?" the boy repeated, still looking over his shadow. "Christ, he brought an adult in this time."

"I'm fine, thanks. W- Who are you?" Yusei caught himself.

"Erm, Rick Larson," the boy confessed, his voice low. "As for where are you, well, none of us got a clue, really. Me and Lins and Lake an' all the rest, got food an' water and a toilet break now and then, but then my pa, he drags in a couple of barely graduated Duelists and we're forced to Duel them."

Now that the pain was subsiding slightly, Yusei squinted at him, and then at the few other shadows, pale wraith-like children clearly very terrified. "Psychic Duelist?"

Rick swallowed, before nodding.

"Are all of you..." Yusei frowned. "Kidnapped?"

"More or less," Rick shrugged, still keep a wary eye out. "Bastard of a pa Richard dragged me here though."

Yusei frowned, though it was only a small reflection of what he felt. "That means that they've got some way to control it. How many are there?"

"'Bout three, four real Psychics, the rest jus' plain terrified vanilla," Rick leaned forward. "Is it true? That you're working with the Tempest?"

"Tempest?" Yusei asked.

"Diana Hunter," Rick clarified. "Some rich lady with kick-ass powers, I think, like us. 'Cept that the way they talk about her, you'd think she's the fear of God personified."

"I think... I get what you mean," Yusei nodded. "Yusei Fudo."

Rick's jaw dropped.

"Please, don't stop on my account," Yusei murmured. "I think..." Metal met the floor as Yusei rubbed his wrists. "Yep, it's a very bad lock. Line up."

Rick was still dazed as Yusei effectively unlocked four sets of chains with only a simple wire – considering this the man who disarmed a battle royale collar with only a nail, quite a feat – and then the four of them settled down.

"They control your DuelDisks, is it?" Yusei frowned.

"Yep." Lake, a scrawny teenager, shrugged. "Got 'em locked up an' everything each time. They move the obedient ones elsewhere though, we don' ever see them again."

Yusei closely studied each child, noting every bruise and bump, but otherwise as a collective they looked fine. "So you're the disobedient ones?"

"More like the ones driven mad," Lake answered with derision. "They're hoping one of us go mad with too much killin' and get the next Black Rose. I heard Ricky's dad say so."

Rick scowled, though clearly he didn't debate the point.

Yusei felt more and more sickened when he realised exactly how bad things were. "I'm sorry for you," Yusei told the boy as he glanced towards the circuit boards there. "I think... I think I can cobble something together, but-"

The door swung open, and the children cringed back into the shadows, leaving Yusei to stare at the two men.

"Yo' need summat?" one of them leered. Yusei's eyes narrowed.

Both unarmed, and Yusei could definitely move faster than they could draw. Whatever it was, they definitely had not expected him to have escaped the locks already, and neither did they expect him to fight. Hard. Ironically, if they had used rope he would have had to make more of an effort, but then... well, at least the Satellite had taught him something. Even his rather invested job had not dulled his reflexes.

The children had cheered when the second man went down, but Yusei's triumph was short-lived when a fireball nearly scorched his shoe.

"You know what we do with rebels, right?" the last one leered, holding out a Hinotama card. His shock of orange hair clearly showed his relation to young Rick. "Easy there, now get up and I don' have ta roast anyone."

Still glaring at the other man, Yusei raised both hands, showing his palms, and made to shield the rest when he was coerced to ground level – by the boxes strewn about, definitely a warehouse – and forced to put on a handcuff and DuelDisk. Rick was next, before the trapdoor was shut and locked again and the boy forced to stand across him.

Yusei blinked, opening his mouth as Rick was made to wear the same things. "You're not serious."

"Does it matter?" Richard snapped. "Now, Ricky, you're going to make your pa proud-"

"You never did anything, bastard." Yusei twitched; curses seemed to abound nowadays.

Either way, the older Larson clearly didn't like back-talk, if the way Rick was casually backhanded said anything. "Shut the fuck up, brat. You're going to be making your bones tonight. Then I'll get the King."

"I don't even like Burger King!"

"You're getting it, an' that's that," Richard leered at Yusei. "When either of you take damage, the cuffs activate. Pain's a good motivator, an' if either player's life reaches zero..." the unspoken implication was clear.

"That's just sick," Yusei hissed. "What's the point?"

"I just got orders to get you outta the way permanently," Richard leered. "Let's see if that bitch can still reform the Movement. It'll take years, maybe more."

Yusei kept his breathing calm in the face of such clear hostility. "You enjoy it. Causing destruction."

"Just what they'd do to us if we got caught," Richard snarled. "Start it, Rick."

"N- No..."

A fireball impacted the floor nearby. "Now."

"Just do it," Yusei nodded to Rick, still taking the occasional glance towards Richard.

"I've just had it!" Rick growled. "Don't you even know the stakes of a Psychic Duel? You're gambling with your life here! I want to live... I want to live!"

"I know," Yusei answered. "I know what Psychic Duelists can do. That's why Diana-san called me." Whether it was friendly tumbling, or genuine life or death situations, Yusei didn't lose when it came down to fists. He didn't even look like a fighter from a distance, but looking into those icy blue eyes made most people reconsider challenging him. "I might not have the power to save people, but I can't stand by watching!"

"Shut up and Duel," Richard scowled. "Come along, see who has the greater will to live first."

Glaring with hate at the older man, Rick slowly grabbed a card off the top of his deck.

There was something incredibly odd about fighting for their lives here, Yusei frowned as he thought. "You don't really care if either of us live or die, right?"

"Bah," was the succinct reply. "How many have died already? You'll just be sleeping with the fishes either way."

"This is your son, isn't he?" Yusei bit back his lip. "It doesn't matter if you hate society, keep your kids out of it!"

"It's for his own good!" Richard retaliated. "He's got to learn to fight back, to kill them before they come for us... the world, the Circle doesn't need weak Duelists. It'll make him strong."

"But at what cost?" Yusei demanded. Richard's face screwed up in thought. "Hate begets hate. It's just going to repeat the cycle. Society is still going to hate what they fear the most-"

"Shut up!" Richard yelled. "Shut up! You don't know what we go through!"

"I grew up in the Satellite," Yusei bit back. "What makes you think I don't know bigotry? I have a criminal marker on my face!"

"You've actually got yourself in the Facility!" Richard snapped back. "Me, I'm treated like a leper everywhere I went! My own wife thought I was a freak, she abandoned us for our freakish powers! Yeah, well, those powers really helped when she was blown up with the guys who fired me, weren't they! I've had it with you, dammit!"

The cuffs hit the ground at the same time Yusei ducked to a drop-tuck-roll, and the fireball merely melted some metal before Richard turned onto Rick. The boy was dragged behind some crates, before Yusei took the newly unlocked cuffs and threw them. There was a _thunk_ and a howl of pain.

"How far can you fight back?" Yusei muttered to the orange-haired boy.

Rick looked stunned. "Erm, I... just summon a monster. I can't do burn damage too much."

"Buy me some time to get the door," Yusei indicated the heavy trapdoor. "I'll get the rest out of there."

"You will?" Rick's eyes were wide in disbelief and hope.

"They haven't had any guns yet, watch out," The chains rattled under his scrutiny and touch. "As long as possible."

With confidence, Rick snatched up a card. "Come, Ally of Justice Catastor!"

Even a Psychic Duelist had to pause when the giant gleaming behemoth of a foreign metal contraption leapt onto him. Yusei might have been slightly distracted, but not for long. It was like when Goodwin had held his friends hostage before, but at least he was physically present now. Yusei could always lead people out of whatever mess they'd managed to get into, but they had to do the walking themselves.

"Everyone okay?" The trapdoor opened in time as Rick shouted, Richard shouted, and there was a clash of monster versus monster. The three kids there blinked at him. "We're getting out of here."

"Where's Rick?" Lake demanded.

"Getting us time to get out," Yusei nodded firmly as he stepped on a head, hauling the children out one at a time. A crate shattered into pieces nearby. "Run, run, go for the exit."

"And you? Sir?" Lake lingered even as he pushed the remaining boy and girl out and to the back door, which opened a _crack._

All the children stilled as the giant blond man snuck in from the shadows. "Yusei," Diana Hunter nodded about the industrious task of freeing people, children, while her husband did the more prosaic task of observing the monster mash and figuring out how to get close to Richard.

"Diana-san?" Yusei blinked. "How-?"

"Sabretooth had a change of heart." The code was not missed as Diana dragged Lake through the door after the two kids. "Any more, kid?"

Lake continued to stare at her. "You don't look like the fear of God."

"Very good of you to notice," Diana replied. "How many more?"

"No more..." Lake swallowed. "Either the Bay or the guys took them. A few were locked in when the Prof got out, seriously, he's bloody Bruce Lee."

"A high compliment," Diana nodded as the front blew in.

Yusei stared at the woman, his companion now in control of one of the greatest raging beasts of the Duel Monsters world under her command, the spectre of her own past and his now here, now breathing, and now obviously very intent on destroying everything. Even Richard and Rick stopped to stare.

Yusei recognised both of them. "Aki!"

* * *

Remy couldn't have removed the grin from his face with a crowbar. He couldn't help it, he loved high speed chases. Hell, he loved high speed driving for any reason at all. The rush of the wind in his hair, the thrum of the big engine growling between his legs, the sensation that he was completely in tune with his own sense of the kinetic. Motion. Energy. It was nearly Zen-like and the whole world just made complete sense.

For the rich, he'd expected a sleek racing vehicle, or maybe something more classy. Still, the burgundy motorcycle the red-head, or Aki Izayoi, was taking was classy enough, and the pair of black bikes the couple had weren't bad, if not something Logan would appreciate. Remy and Gambit, they could tell something about that technology okay, but something nagged at him that maybe, just maybe, one of them should have taken a car.

Then they took to the alleys and Remy quickly realised that some of them were sacrificing capacity for manoeuvrability.

"We're approaching the house in question," Diana's voice was subtle, yet audible over the air itself. "I need some way to distract them for a while. Duelists still have pride whether they're psychic or not, and I don't know if we can take them otherwise."

"Which one?" was the firm reply.

"Coming right up." One warehouse pretty much resembled another, and this one was mostly concrete walls and corrugated roof and spit to hold together.

The black bikes peeled off to either side, but the burgundy sped forward to skid to a stop before the warehouse. Remy was beginning to feel slightly more nervous at what was clearly a suicidal run as she dismounted with some device glowing on her arm.

That was before he saw the white card flash in her hand.

"_Black Rose Dragon!_"

Ozone smashed into his senses, tore him to skid to one side, choking and gasping for air. Remy shook his head clear, snarled, prepared to leap-

And stopped.

_Biggest lizard I ever saw..._

The storm of midsummer itself materialised in all its glory of red and black. A wind swept by, fire and black petals danced. From the narrow, tapered head to the wide red florid wings to the thorned vines that made up its tail and all around it, the dragon seemed to be a force of nature unto itself, unadulterated rage and hate and desire to destroy and break because toys breaking were _so much fun_. It was a raging power as bloodless as a natural disaster itself, as fierce as Wolverine's own rampages, because nature and feral things like Wolverine cutting loose sometimes just did not care about mortal concepts like murder, it was far above the mayflies of humanity.

For once, Gambit actually considered if they might have been in over their heads.

A single, imperious command from the red-haired beauty, and the dragon roared, a gale blowing petals and destruction. By some happy accident, or maybe bad construction founded on good principles, only the front fell apart, three walls holding up the roof still, though how long more Gambit was wishing not to find out.

The faces that greeted them as the warehouse almost made up from the sheer fear as hurricane, dragon and the woman once called the Black Rose Witch swept in, and whatever the other guy was thinking, facing someone like Aki Izayoi was probably the furthest thing from it.

"Aki!" the kidnapped professor, Yusei, bellowed.

The man shouted. There were several robotic creatures all of a sudden, and they looked like they were getting dangerous. Remy had the nasty feeling that the Avengers might come at any second as Godzilla was being re-staged here live. Or maybe, he reflected as the concrete cracked beneath his own set of wheels, that the whole Bay sunk underwater first.

"Okay, _le homme en femme_," Remy drawled as he dismounted, pulling a whole hand of his own cards. "Please, let's calm down for a moment, there's no need to sic the big bad monsters on each other, really..."

Very empathetically, the orange-haired man brandished a card at him. Having experienced it first-hand, Remy just flung his own explosives at the man and dived before the bolt of lightning nearly turned him into a greasy stain on the floor.

The big blond man, Rafael, made a run for Yusei and the terrified kid, a smart move as he hauled both of them out of the way and as Diana burst from the shadows like some bat out of hell at the other man. She seemed to hit hard; even unarmed, she was kicking his ass as they traded blasts, multi-coloured spheres of fire against gold lightning that crackled about the walls with every missed hit. It was messy, curb-stomped and definitely, Diana was winning.

"You know us, the Arcadia Movement?" Diana was saying. "We're real. Very real and very big on law and order. We don't like it when people like you start using your powers like this, this senseless destruction, and frankly, I agree. Your power isn't just this, it should never be this. You shouldn't be dreaming up ways to destroy cities in a single card; you should be at home with your children, happy enough to show them the delicate strategies possible in every card, to teach them the basic points of Duels and games, maybe even find out that we're not just loose cannons that mete out destruction constantly. Those kids, they're never going to see you again. They're never going to know what happened to you, and they're going to be all the better for it. Safer. Knowing that one-" a punch to punctuate, "more-" a crack of bones snapping, "-monster is banished back to the darkness."

"Bitch, what the hell do you know about it?" he asked. She brought up one arm and warded off a burst of lightning and hate. Her gaze lingered on the orange-haired boy and the dark-haired Professor being dragged out by Rafael, and those eyes hardened.

"I know my husband loves me," she spat. "I know he won't spend every night praying that his wife doesn't come looking for a fight. I know he knows I'd die before I'd hurt him. I know your kid can't say the same about you."

He screamed. Obscenities and curses sent bursts of sparks flying across the open space between them.

"That's how it is, huh?" Diana screamed, and Richard Larson actually scrabbled to get away this time from the onslaught. "I got news for you, Larson. You're going to be a bloody cautionary tale, the one story that's going to remain around for a damned long time as a warning about what happens when you mess with the wrong people. And maybe, your son might be proud for once that his Da finally made something of his life. Stake your life on it."

"Witch..." Richard growled as the Black Rose Dragon screamed. "Witch! Black Rose Witch!"

Fear, Remy thought. Whatever Richard Larson felt, it was currently overrun by complete true fear.

Then the castle walls descended.

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

"What the hell is _that_?" was the first indication of an unforeseen development taking place.

All the X-Men gathered in the jet quickly looked out of the windows. Even Logan. "Good question."

It looked like the Capitol Building, a high domed roof of white, surrounded by towers built in a concentric circle shape. Runes and sigils written in light floated in concentric circles around the perimeter and airspace of the building itself in a high dome, protecting whatever was inside... or keeping everyone out of the exact coordinates where warehouse four was supposed to be.

"You seeing this, Chuck?" Logan muttered.

"_Quite,_" Xavier's voice came in over the communications system. "_Professor Fudo and Rafael Eatos has managed to escape, with approximately four more children. Call Hank to prepare the medical kit, or possibly an IV drip. As to this castle itself... well, it appears that Gambit, Madam Hunter and Ms Izayoi are now trapped within._"

Logan cursed low under his breath as the Blackbird made an aquatic landing by the harbour. "How do we get in?"

"_I will relay you to Dr Fudo. Doubtless he would do a better job than I would,_" Xavier spoke. "_I will attempt to relay information as much as is within my ability, although I cannot keep track of any of the three, or even of Richard Larson._"

"_Hello?_" the voice had changed, younger and obviously analytic. "_Sorry, Yusei Fudo here. Who am I speaking to?_"

"Wolverine," Logan snarled. "Now get to it."

"_Okay. You're standing in front of the Magical Citadel of Endymion,_" Yusei explained as parts of the towers began to light up. "_It isolates the inside of the building from the outside world, so everything inside the building itself is within the control of Diana-san. There is no way to blow up the whole thing, because those lights, or Spell Counters, can give themselves up for the entire building to escape destruction._"

"Shit," Logan cursed. "So it's what, a pocket space?"

"_No. Do you believe in magic? Even if you don't, I'll try to explain. It's like... er, a fuel source that slowly gathers power over time. If enough of those lights brighten up, Diana-san could probably use the Mega-Ton Magical Cannon, or a whole host of other things._"

"So it's a giant fuel source that's really versatile and essentially impossible to destroy, under the complete control of one crazy biddy," Logan translated, his voice rough. Even if the concept of magic wasn't completely understood, the words 'mega-ton' and 'cannon' had a pretty clear meaning of mass destruction. "Damn."

"It also seems to be completely impervious to any mental outreach," Xavier added within hearing as the few people there came within sight of the X-Men team. "The castle itself actually seems to reach over the Bay itself. It's as if... she willed it here into reality by sheer resolution. I don't know whether to be thankful that Diana Hunter needs the cards to will her power into the world is a good thing or not, or terrified that such a woman actually has such power in her."

Cyclops rubbed his fingers. Watched Jean as she concentrated, a faint smile creasing pink lips. "Are you sure?"

Eyes still closed, the telepath nodded. "They were pretty sure we can't find them. So we looked for the places where we couldn't find anything."

_Right_, Cyclops thought dryly, looking out the windows toward the giant sparkling castle-citadel that had taken over the base Sabretooth had been dispatched from. _Look where you can't see. Makes perfect sense_.

"There is a certain unmistakable emptiness," the Professor observed. "Have a little faith, Scott."

"I'd rather have Gambit back. In one piece." He cut a glance at Logan as they disembarked, daring the older mutant to contradict him.

"You didn't like him," Logan observed.

"He's still a mutant, like doesn't factor in it," Scott rebutted, scowling at the castle and the white-coated man standing beside the professor. The big blond man, Rafael, was standing with a few kids who had clearly seen better days, clearly their temporary detail even though the X-Men were about to go charging after his wife. Storm was already in her uniform, floating above-head and letting bolts dance between herself and the shaking light fixtures, clearly trying to break past the sigils that floated around it.

Tentatively, Jean reached out to trace the white wall. "This is a complete illusion? I didn't know that anyone outside the Danger Room could do something like it."

A breeze blew as Storm slowly descended. "There's no way to break in aerially."

"It's the Magical Citadel of Endymion," one of the kids, slightly darker in colour and health, scowled. "Of course there's only one way in; the door."

"I suppose then that leaves us the front door," Wolverine smirked at the haggard Yusei. "And you?"

"I need to get Aki back," Yusei answered neutrally. "The last time she nearly lost control, the stadium roof nearly came down over our heads. And I know what kind of traps Diana-san uses, I can navigate past them."

"What makes you think you can?"

"What makes you think I'll listen?" was the reply.

"You're trusted with an awful lot of information," Logan grumbled but nodded anyway. "I take point. You be prepared to run."

Storm took to the air; Xavier withdrew back into the jet, sealing the door against potential intruders. The rest of them fanned into a loose group, searching for any sign of guards. Wolverine took point, sneaking toward the nearest door, claws not yet out.

"Let this guy be dumb, please let this guy be dumb," Scott prayed, as they drew closer without rousing defenders. "Is it too much to ask of the universe for one bad guy to have a sudden attack of stupidity?"

"Smart people usually have some self-preservation," Yusei pointed out as he checked the device on his arm. "Dumb people have none. That means that they don't hesitate in taking you down with them."

"Why do you have a DuelDisk?" Kurt pointed out.

If Yusei had a problem with the blue-skinned mutant, he never showed it. "In case I might have to save Aki from herself once more."

* * *

The entire place was covered in vines, biting and scratching ones that turned the entire warehouse into some demonic garden that kept biting and latching and isolating most of the warehouse. Or, more accurately, what remained of the warehouse.

Aki stood at the very centre of the carnage, her DuelDisk unlocked. "Destroyers of families, of lives, of children. Take the cold flames of sorrow upon your form."

"Fine," Richard smirked as he pulled out his own DuelDisk. "I'll start. I summon Krebons [1200/400] to the field. Then I play Emergency Teleport, special summon Mind Protector [0/2200] from my deck. Tuning Mind Protector to Krebons! _My flames of hatred, inflamed within the abyss of my heart, become the black raging waves that overrun this world. Synchro Summon! Magical Android!_"

Aki bit back a snarl as the sparking woman [2400/1700] appeared from the column of rings. "You have some gall to use that monster."

"The Psychic type is pretty representative of us, isn't it?" Richard snickered. "I'll end here, and Magical Android gives me six hundred life points."

"Draw!" Aki called, glaring at the life point counter. "I summon Dandylion [300/300] to the field in attack mode. Now, I activate the Spell card, Fragrance Storm to destroy Dandylion and draw a card. I drew the Plant Type monster Rose Fairy, hence I can draw once more. Due to its own effect, Rose Fairy [600/1200] is special summoned to my side of the field."

"Girly card," Richard sneered as the sprite-creature appeared on the field.

"Dandylion gifts me with two Fluff Tokens on the field," Aki ignored the taunt. "Then, I activate Super Solar Nutrient to sacrifice one Fluff Token to special summon Lonefire Blossom [500/1400] from my deck in attack mode." A sparking red bulbous plant bloomed on her field, its roots digging into the concrete below. "Activating the effect of Lonefire Blossom, I sacrifice the other token to special summon from my deck the tuner monster, Copy Plant [0/0]. Copy Plant will copy the level of Rose Fairy, turning level three."

"Level six Synchro, huh?" Richard spotted.

"Tuning, level three Rose Fairy to level three Copy Plant!" Aki called. "Splendid hunter and dweller of the sacred forest, with your whip of punishment in hand, come forth now! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Splendid Rose!"

In an explosion of light, a beautiful golden-haired youth emerged, holding a long thorny whip in hand. The youth turned back and looked at her, before sinking to bended knee, knight-style. The supposedly programmed holograph looked up at her and smiled, before getting up to face the other [2200/2000].

"Activating the effect of Splendid Rose!" Aki called. "I will banish Rose Fairy from the graveyard, and reduce the attack power of your Magical Android by half, so it's at one thousand two hundred attack power."

Richard growled as green vines sprouted to bind his android.

"Battle!" Aki called. "Splendid Rose, attack Magical Android with Aerial Twist!"

The monster shattered, and Richard doubled over as the whip struck his side.

"Activating the second effect of Splendid Rose," Aki continued. "I will banish Copy Plant in my graveyard to reduce the attack power of Splendid Rose by half until the end of the turn, and attack directly. Aerial Twist!"

Another crack, another sickening piece of concrete shattering, another cry of pain. Richard was now down to sixty-five hundred.

"With that, I'll set three cards and end my turn," Aki declared.

"Draw!" Richard called, though his feet were shaking slightly. "I summon Psychic Commander [1400/800] to the field in attack mode. Now, I activate the Spell, Psychokinesis, to destroy Splendid Rose!"

"Trap card open, Pollinosis," Aki tonelessly declared. "By tributing Lonefire Blossom, the activation of Psychokinesis is negated and the card destroyed."

Richard scowled. "I'll set a card, turn end. So this is the power of the Black Rose Witch... we looked up to you."

"Me?" Aki looked vaguely surprised.

"The most powerful psychic ever known, the Black Rose Witch," Richard gloated. "So much power, so much destruction... a frightful woman who can only destroy, the symbol of us monsters. We believed that, maybe, one of us could be the next Black Rose one day-"

"That's not true!" Aki yelled. "The more we give in to our impulses for destruction, the more we'll just invite it! Destroying is not the answer!"

"But, they'll destroy us first!" Richard shot back. "Did you ever see the aftermath of the Sentinels! What they did to those mutant suckers, that'd be nothing when the FOH finds out about us! I'm not going to let that happen to Rick, even if it kills me! Even if he hates us... even if I'm a good-for-nothing dad, I have pride as a Duelist!"

"I... see..." Aki murmured quietly. "I think... I can understand what you feel. From the beginning, I think... I know what Diana-san felt, why she left me to face you. Because there is no compromise possible."

"Damn right there isn't," Richard scoffed.

"Draw," Aki continued. "Activate the set card, Limit Reverse, to revive Lonefire Blossom. Activate the Continuous Trap, Ivy Shackles, to turn all monsters you control into Plant Type monsters. I tribute Lonefire Blossom to special summon Gigaplant [2400/1200], before I summon Gigaplant to activate its Gemini effect to revive Lonefire Blossom once more. Using the effect of Lonefire Blossom, I tribute Lonefire Blossom itself to special summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias [2800/2600]. Activate a second copy of Fragrance Storm, this time targeting Psychic Commander. I drew the Plant Type Violet Witch, hence I can draw again," Aki declared. "Now activating Mystical Space Typhoon, I destroy that set card you hold."

Richard grimaced as his monster vanished and the set card imploded. "Oh, god..."

"Sic 'em."

* * *

The Citadel was really very amazing, during the odd moment where it wasn't trying to kill them. Laughter rung through the inside of the Magical Citadel.

Wolverine was starting to hate that laughter, he swore after the next exploding wave.

The fight came in flashes, bits of images filtering past the rush. Storm, hurling glowing balls of static at cringing shadows, letting bolts dance between herself and the light fixtures and shadowy beings. Cyclops cutting loose with force beams at shadows and unknown enemies alike, some splashing off to cut walls and ceiling that were intact in mere moments. Jean tossing bits and pieces around like telekinetic bludgeons, her powers keeping her distant. Kurt and Kitty teleporting and phasing through whatever they could, which was not walls, or floor, but rather the different monsters, and Evan throwing bone spikes where he could when the monsters weren't actively evading them. In the middle, was the constant, oddly solid and reassuring presence of Yusei Fudo.

Gambit leaping out of the shadows and throwing pink glowing explosive cards threw him for a moment, before a second Gambit leapt out to counter them. Then all the X-Men stopped at the sight.

"Holy cow, there's two of you!" was Scott's parting jibe before the Gambit opposite unleashed a barrage of cards.

"_Mon Dieu, non_! I'm right here, one-eye!" their Gambit retaliated.

"No, I'm the real one!"

"No, _I_ am!"

Then one Gambit was enclosed in a coffin, and from the coffin rose a night-robed magician that pointed its curved staff at Remy.

"No!" Yusei shouted as he dived, fishing Gambit out as a pillar of light enveloped the place Gambit had been standing on. Scott reacted quickly enough to shoot an optic beam, who shattered into pixellated shards that faded.

"Thanks," Remy panted.

"You're welcome," Yusei noted. "But I think it might have been just a severe injury instead of death."

"This place is a complete maze," Scott commented. "Spyke, Shadowcat, fan out."

"Good," Diana stepped out of the nearest shadow. Without hesitation, Scott let loose another blast. That was before Scott realised that of all things, a brilliant white flash answered the optic beam before the angry red rebounded off some invisible barrier, larger than anything.

"_Starlight Road!_"

White stardust answered to coalescence around the blast, shattering around it and with it the scarlet power.

"_Gott in Himmel_," Kurt quietly murmured, stunned. "Mirror Force!"

Jean focused on him. "Huh?" she spoke out loud.

"It's a trap card," Yusei was the one who supplied the answer. "One of the worst in Duel Monsters. It reflects an attack back on your opponent, wiping out every single monster the opponent holds. In context, it means all of us. Without discrimination."

Oh. _Oh._ Storm swallowed, throat dry. "I- It was just a hologram..." A really effective hologram... no, that was crazy. "It's just a game."

Yusei shook his head. "With a Psychic Duelist, the damage is real. The attack, the effects, the destruction, it becomes real. Reality itself could bend to the rules of the game. We'd have been dead."

"You countered it," Logan accused.

"I doubted that Diana-san wanted me, or any of us dead," Yusei glared at the other woman, who shrugged. "Besides, having rules means having to adhere to them. Since Starlight Road is in effect, then at resolution, I can special summon Stardust Dragon from my extra deck."

Kurt looked way more relieved than he should have at the appearance of the biggest lizard Logan ever saw. Not that _lizard_ even vaguely applied to the lithe silver-white dragon that curved between its master and the hostile Citadel and its mistress. Wings furled and spread like sails, beating air laced with static, yellow eyes glared down, wide and wild and furious.

In another part of the castle, a roar answered distantly.

"There it is," Yusei murmured, relief evident as he began walking. The X-Men gingerly lingered behind, some of them ready to attack Diana Hunter... that was, until they turned the corner.

"Not very pretty, is it?" Diana murmured as Aki, her red locks loose, raised a hand.

"Sic 'em."

It was like watching someone shoot fish in a small bucket. There was no dignity, no sport in how those large monsters charged to attack one man, how each and every blast shattered the floor and walls and left a sickly sweet scent all around.

The man, the injured man, began to cackle. "That's it?"

"There's a way to turn back," Aki spoke, her voice clear.

"Not here," the man muttered, shaking. "Not for me. I can't. I can't. I just... I can't face Rick. I can't face Mary, I can't face anyone. I've only invited destruction my whole life. And you know something, Black Rose Witch? I like it!"

Fire crackled, the floor parting as he laughed. "I like it! Destroying things, hearing them scream, I like it! You know, right? How good it feels!"

"It starts out good," was the quiet confession. "It feels like you can do anything, destroy anything that stands in your way... but then there's guilt. That you've destroyed something irreversible, that you can't never go back, that something had died inside of you. And when you're about to kill, when you'd see the light die from their eyes... you've never seen it up close, have you? Dying eyes... so blank, so sad."

"And something dies inside once more," Diana finished. "You threw them into the Bay, didn't you? The bodies of those you took, following the _billet_-_doux_ printed from the Damon Institute. But the traces remain, you know. Those entranced by the eyes of the dead..."

"And then what?" he laughed. "Throw me in prison? I'll get out, somehow, and then I'll come back. I'm a monster, remember? Now I'll take you down with me! No one can touch me! Final Destiny!"

Power erupted all around, laughter echoing all the while as the earth itself seemed to rumble.

"There's an earthquake... that's not caused by Lance," Kitty registered.

"Run!" Xavier's voice came in over the airwaves. "There's a storm coming! It could take out the entire bay-side!"

"Storm!" Wolverine roared.

"It's... it's large enough to maybe take out the bay-side," Storm paled. "I can't fight it!"

The Citadel itself seemed to begin crashing down everyone's ears.

"There's no way out!" Kurt wrung his hands. "I can't teleport out!"

"If you can get out, so can he," Diana pointed out. "Final Destiny, at this rate, will most likely kill... oh, maybe the entire bay. Good news, only half of New York might be levelled."

"That's still going to be a lot of people!"

"It'll be more, if I let up," Diana flippantly replied.

"Yusei!" Aki cried out as Yusei ran forward to her. "Give me Stardust! Diana-san, help me!"

Without question, the professor threw over the card, which was swiftly caught and placed as overhead, the dragon gave a loud bellow.

"Stardust Dragon's effect!" Aki screamed as silver wings spread overhead. "When a Spell, Trap, or monster effect is activated that destroys a card on the field, I can tribute this card to negate the activation and destroy it! Victim Sanctuary!"

It... stopped.

Perhaps, there was no glory in it. No dignity, no escape from the inevitable. A thick miasma descended over the broken open hall of the Citadel, the dragon extended its wings, and a curtain of stardust fell over as fires were quenched where the glittering sight touched.

"No, no..." Richard whimpered as the curtain of stardust descended around him, trapping him in. "No..."

"You chose your own fate," were the words spoken. "No one will touch you. Not to harm you, and certainly not to save you."

The last of Richard's screams echoed before the man was forcibly imploded.

Aki sighed into Yusei's embrace, feeling the mortal world return and the Citadel collapse. Sensed the Stardust Dragon fade back, confident that what was necessary was done. Heard the Citadel die, the whispers, the shocked protests, as those about him realized what lay in their midst, the bloody remains of life. "It's over."

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ancient Sunshine**_

* * *

Compared to the rather unique way he had died, clean-up went more professionally. Diana had waved the X-Men away – _they won't find the bodies, honest _– and the jet had barely flew off when the entire warehouse went up in flames. There might have been a freak storm out there that delayed the search copters, a few traffic lights winking out, and being greeted by Sabretooth suspended in what looked like a multitude of chains.

What a contrary picture of what had gone on. How incredibly ordinary compared to the jarringly different.

Logan had been one of the few still functioning normally after that... sight. He entered the waiting room where the rest of them were in time to stop Professor Charles Xavier from spilling tea onto the carpet. Absently ignoring the muted sobs from Jean and Scott's corner, the pale faces of Kitty, Kurt and Evan. Storm hadn't raised so much as a hint of static since she'd huddled into an overstuffed chair.

Logan jabbed one of a tray of steaming mugs in Storm's direction. The weather-witch automatically took it, wrapping dark fingers around the ceramic as if it were the last source of warmth in the world.

"Between the... Citadel falling, and the lightning blasts, and the fire amongst many things, I think we wiped the evidence clean," Logan stated, cupping hands around his own mug after glaring Scott and Jean into taking theirs. Remy got his with a boot to top off. "Sabretooth's not going to talk, and everyone else... 'cept maybe the kids, and they're young."

How can you possibly think of avoiding the law at a time like this?" Xavier shuddered.

"Somebody's gotta." Logan's smile was wry. "Don't think the cops would understand self-defence by way of dragon."

"Self-defence-!"

"Yeah." Logan slurped his soup. "Get it all out. I've seen some ugly things; that was bad." Glanced back at Xavier. "But we couldn't do anything."

"We could have stopped it!"

Wolverine fixed an unwavering stare. "We did."

"We, as in the X-Men. Not as in letting a dragon do whatever it did." Xavier shook his head. "It's no mistake to show mercy, Logan."

"I challenge you to stop it," But the fury was damped, controlled, a thinking rage, not berserk fury. "Did you check the scents? Did you see the remains? They were killing people, children. Richard Larson would have blown up all up, and not cared."

"We could have held him-"

"You don't know that," came the low reply. "You don't know anything about them. Thought you didn't like to second-guess experts, Charles."

"I refuse to argue with you that a dragon might have arbitrarily decided that Richard Larson had to die."

"You can take it up with the dragon's owner." It took a moment before they realised that Yusei Fudo was standing in the open doorway. He was not alone; accompanying him was a sleepy-eyed Aki and a rather more alert Rafael. "We were about to knock."

"Gentlemen, Ms Izayoi," Xavier acknowledged. "Are... you alright?"

"I... will be," Aki softly replied. "I... I didn't know. That Stardust Dragon would kill him. I thought... it would only stop it."

"We know, Ms Izayoi," Xavier nodded. "It was not pretty."

Aki shifted. "I... I think... I think I could have stopped it. Even then. Even when I didn't know..."

"You didn't know," Yusei firmly established. "_I_ didn't know, and I owned Stardust Dragon. You didn't do anything."

Xavier's gaze moved from the couple to Rafael. His eyes narrowed. "You knew."

"No." Rafael's denial was laced with honesty; at least, the man was being truthful.

"You guessed that he wouldn't live."

Rafael sighed. "Lake, one of the kids, asked if the man would live. Diana answered that they'd never see him again. Lake made her swear to put him away in darkness. It doesn't matter when, Diana would have kept her promise."

"He could have lived."

"And it would have sucked to be him, if he lived," Rafael shrugged. "It was a merciful death. Rick, his son, he doesn't have to be scared anymore. He won't have to see his father again. And he'd be better for it."

"That's not a lesson I teach."

"I don't care," Rafael carelessly replied. "They'll be with others like them soon."

"No, they'll be with the Institute," Scott straightened. "They're dangerous."

Rafael's eyebrows raised, before he let his gaze travel deliberately towards Aki, still clinging onto Yusei. "We're all dangerous in a sense."

Xavier very deliberately stared at the man, probing his thoughts, and found only an unyielding resolve and a protection. "It's no mistake to teach mercy."

"It is when it is the only thing taught," Rafael answered. "I... I do not quite agree that differently-abled people have to resort to murder. But, we're talking about children who are essentially alone now, having conflicts about playing a game that can kill. Stopping is one option, but it's not one readily accepted. Learning control is another, but in an emotionally charged game like Duel Monsters, it's rather difficult. They'll learn how to hurt, how to heal, and at the end they can choose. Whether they will use it, or lose it, or help people with it, or become monsters with it. And then it's our turn."

"You're still going on with it?" Yusei frowned. "The Arcadia Movement?"

"There are always going to be bastards like Divine," Rafael answered. "As powerful as Diana is, she's only one person. Let's face it, neither of us have a very strong moral compass even between us. But Diana... she's going to make a somewhat peaceful life for the future. Whether it's for ours, or for yours, she's accepted that she's going to be hated by both sides, maybe stuck fighting a war on all fronts anyway. She's essentially gambling with her life to make a better world, whether alone or not, whether she'd live to see it or not."

There it was, the deep attachment of love and acceptance so much that even Logan did not comment on it. Yusei still held Aki close. "I... I'll think on it."

* * *

Rick blinked at the storming woman, the one people had been comparing to the infamous Black Rose. So he'd thought in his mind, that maybe it wasn't so bad, that the woman had crashed through his whole world. "He's not coming back, is he?"

The woman looked up from her file to meet him in the eyes. Her eyes, Rick thought, were a lot like the ocean about to unleash a storm. She did not need to ask whom he was talking about. "No, we're not going to see him ever again."

Rick stared at her. "I didn't ask that."

"I know."

"What do I do now?"

"Whatever you want to do," Diana frowned. "Let's face it, you have three choices. Give up Duel Monsters, and find a foster family-"

"No." Never again.

"Keep playing, eventually grow up to hate, blow up everything-"

"No." He was not about to hurt again.

"Or you can come with me," Diana flippantly finished. "We're going to find other kids like you, who're stuck hurting people because of some misguided belief by broken sods like Richard Larson. Well, Richard Larson wasn't a very nice man, but he tried to be a father, in some twisted way of his, and there are others like him who aren't so hot either. Then we're going to give them a choice."

"What do I do?"

"Why are you thinking so far?" came the question. "One at a time. Slowly does it. We play, we get ourselves under control. We have power, you see, and therefore responsibility. We control our power, and our road is open. No great rush."

There it was. There was that. "Will I have to kill people?"

"I allow you to self-defence people to death. However, if you kill..." and here Rick was almost afraid to look her in the eye. "I will try to make sure that you do not have to. Yet, sometimes there are things beyond our control... and murder is so very frowned upon in society. Mercy should always be exercised."

"You didn't show mercy there."

"That wasn't me," Diana sighed. "But it could have been."

Rick nodded as she left the last of the awake children to sleep, before slipping out of the room. "There is something called invasion of privacy, Mr Xavier."

"I am physically contained in what would technically be considered a public space," the professor noted, wheeling himself to face the woman.

He was fairly convinced that Diana Hunter and Aki Izayoi were the power they had, despite that he had only known of them for roughly the same amount of time, the points of differences struck deeply at him. Everything about Diana Hunter was positive. Her vitality, her energy, her magnetic attraction. Like a storm itself, a force that got through life by imposing her will upon the world. He admired particularly the indestructible quality of her. Here she was, vibrant, alive, a personality like a train took off his hat to her mentally. Some day, of course, she would come a cropper. You could only bear a charmed life for so long.

But, he knew, today was not that day. Not yet.

"If you say," Diana neutrally replied. Her mind was blank; not in the deliberately shielding her thoughts kind, but rather that somehow, there was no way to read her. Anger, sorrow, sadness, they seemed to be mostly replaced by sheer determination. "Was there something you needed, Mr Xavier?"

"I was thinking... what exactly were your thoughts to revive the Arcadia Movement?" Xavier asked. "An organisation as such could only function two different ways."

"I want to live," Diana simply replied. "I want to protect their right to choose, our right to choose." Fear, sadness. "But, if it comes down to me or the other, I will fight back. And the other would disappear."

"You have killed," Xavier noticed.

"What good is having free will if you can't reach for the things you really want, consequences be damned?" there it was, the implacable gaze, so much like Brotherhood.

"Who are you to decide if someone should live or die?"

"No one," was the bitter reply. "It is circumstance. I do not regret it."

"I wonder, how do you live with yourself?"

"What are you getting at, Charles Xavier?" Diana Hunter's expression turned frosty.

"Work with us, Diana," Xavier pressed. "There is so much good you can do, so much that does not mean the necessity of murder is needed. There is no crime in mercy."

Diana laughed, a bitter laugh. "Are you sure?"

The way she said it, with the certainty of having seen the monsters of life, of humanity itself, gave him pause.

"Charles Xavier," was the gentle murmur. "Do you ever feel regret? That you were born with such powers?"

"Once," Xavier confessed. "Nineteen sixty-two. I... drove someone close away. Because, I think, some part of me couldn't accept her, that as she was... she could never live in regular society."

"Then what did you do?"

"We parted ways. Stood on different sides. They are mutant, and proud. I am mutant, and hiding."

"Mmm," was the quiet answer.

"Why did Richard Larson die?" he abruptly changed the subject.

"Because Stardust negated the Final Destiny. It is a very convenient thing, that, yet the cost is high."

"And who dictated the cost?"

"The rules of the game."

"And why?"

"Because I am a Hunter, and I hunted him."

What it meant, Xavier would never find out, as he turned to see that she had disappeared into shadows and darkness like the dying storm once more.

* * *

She remembered fire. An earth-shaking roar. The sudden, wondrous thrill of _knowing_ the pattern of magic. She'd struck, and missed, and tried to strike again-

And now she was back in this silent refuge, shut off from the world.

No. Not quite silent.

"… And then, the butler did this thing with Darkworld Shackles, and the rough blond guy, he just keeled over and followed him-" Here Rua paused for breath. "Then we got pushed by Ms Munroe into the car, and we were driven to the warehouse where we saw Stardust flying. Then we knew."

"Yusei, you looked tired," Ruka's voice murmured.

An echo of sensation filtered through; Yusei's fingers, caressing her palm. "It was wild. Sounds like you guys had as bad a night as we did."

Aki began to stir, opening her eyes to Yusei.

"You're awake!" Relief, calm, an affection like ribbons of sunlight around Yusei. "We were starting to get worried. Dr. McCoy said it was just exhaustion, but we weren't sure, and Diana-san really didn't X-Men already went back, but Professor Xavier still wishes to have a word with you, Aki. After the examination..."

"I don't think it's as bad as it looks. Just smoke, mostly..." Jaw dropping, she stared as Dr Hank McCoy came in.

He adjusted his glasses and set to work examining his patient, as if he were simply a doctor for now, and not six feet of athletic blue fuzz, claws, and teeth. "Good afternoon, Ms. Izayoi."

Aki froze. Rua backed up, eyes wide and frightened.

"Are you the doctor?" Ruka greeted calmly, eyes innocent and interested.

Beast paused, taken aback. Nudged up his glasses, as if he wasn't sure what he was seeing. "As it happens, I am." He extended his hand. "Dr. Hank McCoy."

Yusei took it, claws and all. "Yusei Fudo. Here is my friend, Aki Izayoi, and Rua and Ruka."

Behind his glasses, Beast squinted hard at the poker-faced raven-haired man, before he nodded in approval at something he had seen, letting go of Yusei's hand. "Just exhaustion, Ms Izayoi. I would normally prescribe bed rest, but you've slept for the better part of the day, really. A hot meal, a shower, and a walk would do you good."

"W- What happened to the children?" Aki enquired.

"They left," here Beast looked regretful. "You know, I'm rather surprised, that you showed neither surprise nor fear when faced with the likes of Sabretooth and I."

"As a Psychic Duelist, I try not to judge by appearances," Aki slowly murmured. "Besides, in comparison to Duel Monsters, the likes of Sabretooth and you would be only mildly lovable."

Dr McCoy barked. "Sabretooth, lovable? I believe that Logan might have a conniption."

* * *

Facing her again a day later, the first thing that had struck Xavier was the differences between two women with the same power.

Diana Hunter had been the type to get through life by imposing her will upon it. A lot like a train wreck, or Logan, whichever most resembled a force of nature, she would have been the type to be mutant and proud, and powerful.

In contrast, forAki Izayoi everything had been driven inward. She submitted, he thought. She obeyed, she smiled in compliance and behind that, he thought, she slipped away through your fingers. Sly, he said to himself, appraising that fact. On top of being strong, powerful, and a legitimate enough Duelist, and yet she clearly had a troubled past, and some major dependency issues. Not the type to brazen things out or impose herself, unless motivated to do so. She seemed so delicate in Yusei's arms, like some china doll.

And yet, according to Gambit, this woman had summoned a dragon of such intense rage that the very memory had been blaring at him. Gambit had very quickly done a runner to Vegas, citing some urgent business in Sin City that apparently meant dragging Logan along as well. The whys and the wherefores had been handled with the usual hand-waving that accompanied things both Gambit and Wolverine wanted, yet Xavier suspected that Gambit had done it to get away from the dragon.

Black Rose Dragon. The ill omen of destruction, the summer storm that descended like a judgement. The only one Charles Xavier had really yet seen. And yet...

"Ms Izayoi, I understand that we have been through quite an... adventure," Xavier carefully chose. "And it is through this adventure that I see that you hold great power. Although, it is early days yet, but I do believe... I believe that perhaps, you could make a difference, using your power."

Aki shifted in her seat, snuggled closer in Yusei's arms. She paused for a long time, as if pondering her words, before speaking. "I am terrified. I suppose... when I was young I never really thought about my power, and just how much of a liability it was. Angry as I was, barely sane... I made a whole different self, the Black Rose Witch. And by the time I could think about it... the defining battle of my life was over, and my powers gone with the sign of the Crimson Dragon. But now… What am I supposed to do? No one should have this kind of power. Even if I can control my power, for now, even if I only want to help others, how do I know that I wouldn't inadvertently do something terrible? I don't trust myself with such power. And there are others like me as well... I could do anything to the world. That scares me."

Xavier shifted. "Well, I... have informed you, that your dragons are sentient and alive. Of course, you already knew that when I informed you, hence the news was nothing more. And yet... Aki, may I call you Aki? About Psychic Duelists, the common power you share, is more of a... there is a great potential in your power. To command monsters at the very basic level, and to change reality as you wish at the highest level... and all through a single game, it is one of the most strangest of abilities."

"Almost like magic," Aki nodded.

"Yes, that," Xavier frowned. "I am a scientific man, so forgive me my scepticisms. There are many options open to you. The Institute is always open to you, Aki, where you can express yourself towards others like you, with powers and the burdens they carry with it, without censure or bias from superstitions."

"Superstitions," Aki repeated, her voice flat. Almost immediately, Xavier had realised that it was the wrong thing to say. "Mr Xavier, forgive me if I doubt you, but... on a detached, logical level, perhaps I understand what you are getting at, that you are offering me sanctuary. Perhaps, it is under some mistaken belief that I require sanctuary, that my great power somehow renders me unstable, prone to lashing out and killing, that very logically, I _have_ killed."

Her body leaned forward, amber eyes meeting Xavier's own. "Mr Xavier, let me ask you. There is not a single human, mutant or otherwise, who couldn't pull off something lethal. Why do my abilities get to you? Why does the fact that the dragons of Team 5Ds being alive matter? They are the heart of the cards."

"It's a matter of control." Xavier said sharply. "Mind and body, working in harmony... Whatever that technique truly is, it's not physiological. It's not even a matter of mind – although there is a definite mental discipline involved. What they tap into, what I found left in Kurt's mind... it's pure emotion, willing the world what they wanted it to be. I... I do not understand it, perhaps."

Aki gave a grim smile. "All we have had to say has crossed each other's minds."

"It is not hard, Ms Izayoi. I am a telepath."

"Then possibly my answer has already crossed yours."

"There are others out there who would use your powers," Xavier sharply pointed out.

"I think, we shall see Rua and Ruka back," Aki airily replied. "My most fervent wish is to save lives, without these powers defining my life. I am training to do so. Even if I fall, I have someone I trust with me." she held up Yusei's and her intertwined hands. "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr Xavier, but I am afraid that I must refuse. Because someone had taught me to stand up and face the world myself already."

Smiling and happy, perfectly in control of her powers, comfortable with herself as a person and as a Duelist, whatever that was, and a purpose in life, and all through the cause of the man beside her. Xavier found himself thinking deeply on the mysteries of love as they walked out of his suite.

Like the fair folk, hidden all around, the mysteries of Rua and Ruka also evaded him soon enough, and slowly, surely, the incident of the dragons slipped from memory. Just a tale, just a story, surely... for magic didn't exist, did it?

* * *

_**Conclusione della storia!**_

_**Please review!**_


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